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Irrigators raise alarm over alleged unlawful water use at Crazy Mountain Ranch
Summary
A Park County resident told commissioners he believes Crazy Mountain Ranch switched agricultural water to recreational use for a golf course without completing Montana Water Court change procedures, and local irrigators say they are experiencing impacts on Rock Creek.
Tim Sunling, an irrigator on Rock Creek from Livingston, told the Park County Board of County Commissioners on June 10 that he believes Crazy Mountain Ranch has changed its water use from agriculture to recreation without completing the Montana Water Court change process.
Sunling said the ranch, described in news reports as tied to Cross Harbor or Lone Mountain Ranch Company and modeled in part on developments such as the Yellowstone Club at Big Sky, “has constructed a golf course, and golf courses require water to irrigate them.” He said the property “switched their use of agriculture water to recreational, which is something that is allowed, but it has to go through a change process.”
Why it matters: Sunling told commissioners his concern is precedent. He said if landowners can alter water uses without following the court process, “it could just turn into a free for all” for surface water in the state. He asked commissioners to have the issue on their radar and noted irrigators on Rock Creek are experiencing reduced water availability.
Details from the comment: Sunling said water-right change proceedings in water court can take “2, 4, 5, 7 years,” and that the ranch did not follow the formal change-of-use process. He described himself as “an irrigator on Rock Creek” and framed the concern around enforcement and the potential for others to alter water use or impound a creek without legal approval.
No formal action recorded: The item was raised during the meeting’s public comment period; commissioners acknowledged Sunling’s remarks but did not take formal action or direct staff in the transcripted portion of the meeting.
What wasn’t established in the meeting: The commission record does not include a staff report or evidence presented to confirm the legal status of any water-right filings by Crazy Mountain Ranch, nor did the transcript include references to specific Montana statutes or pending water-court filings. Sunling referenced news coverage he emailed to the commission earlier the same morning.
