Exempt Water Rights Claims meeting on Jan. 23

The Phillips Conservation District will be hosting an informational meeting on Exempt Water Rights Claims on Tuesday, January 23, at 6 p.m. at the Malta Business Center. Several months ago all Montana land owners received a form to file for Exempt Claimed Water Rights. This is an important opportunity to file on rights for livestock drinking directly from natural water sources, and domestic and stock water wells put to use before July 1, 1973.

The meeting will feature Jim Beck, retired from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Helena Regional Office where he worked in several water resource areas, including water rights. Jim has been a member of the Broadwater Conservation District for 26 years, and for the past 20 years, he has been an instructor for the State’s water commissioner training program. Jim will discuss the exempt claim filings in detail and will explain the consequences of the loss of priority date if the filings are not made. He will also describe how to search for previous water right filings, provide resources for completing the claim forms, and explain what to expect from a consultant.