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Montana bill would require DRNC notice of intent, coordinate water rights in subdivision review
Summary
House Bill 681 would require a DNRC ‘notice of intent’ for exempt wells and formalize sharing of water‑right information with local subdivision review to give developers and homeowners earlier certainty while preserving county review authority.
House Bill 681, sponsored by Representative John Fitzpatrick, would create a formal coordination mechanism between the state’s water‑use permitting process and local subdivision review, requiring applicants who intend to rely on exempt wells to file a DNRC “notice of intent” before putting water to beneficial use. Fitzpatrick said the bill “tries to address some of the efficiencies and insecurity in the historic processes” by adding certainty and consumer protections for subdivision reviews.
Proponents from state agencies and stakeholder groups told the Senate Local Government Committee the change is the product of an extended, multi‑agency stakeholder process. Anna Pakenham Stevenson of DNRC…
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