By Elaine Culletto, Office Manager, Bitter Root Irrigation District
The Bitter Root Irrigation District services 16,665 irrigated acres along a 72-mile stretch from Lake Como to the Eagle Watch area. The district’s Board of Commissioners are elected officials who take an oath of office to follow Montana State Code Law. Montana water law is recorded in MCA Title 85. The district’s biggest challenge is maintaining the canal at its most efficient capacity for the 1400 plus water users in the Bitterroot valley.
Water is a precious source in the Bitterroot valley and the district must make every effort to use the valley’s limited water supplies wisely. The district has an elected Board of Commissioners, who are water users themselves, who are dedicated and committed to pursuing the efficient water management within the district’s boundaries. It becomes very difficult for water users to understand the complexity of issues the district faces. The Board at the district encourages all water users to come to the monthly public board meetings and become deeply involved in all aspects of district business in order to fully understand Montana water law and district policies. The district board encourages any and all water users to call the office and/or any commissioner to inquire about how the district functions and about any on going issues and business.
Currently the district is pursuing a petition to create a sub district for the Three Mile gravity system in the Stevensville area. Back in the seventies, it was most difficult to irrigate efficiently and in the course of discussion and ideas for many years, a petition was circulated to the entire district to put in a gravity flow irrigation system to allow users in the Stevensville area to efficiently irrigate. Government agencies provided financing and the district agreed to operate and maintain the system during the contract years to assist the water users while they were paying for their new gravity system.
Now the system is about to be paid out and decisions must be made as to the future of the entire system. Upon payout the system will be a private system belonging to the water users. However, the law allows for a sub district to be created that will allow the district to take on responsibilities and pay for insurance, a ditchrider, winterization, pressurizing the system in the beginning of the water year as well as some assistance with labor and equipment rates and other miscellaneous maintenance items.
To create a sub district, 60% of users and 60% of irrigated land must sign a petition to allow responsibility from the district. This petition is currently in circulation. Unfortunately, a tremendous amount of misinformation and untruths are circulating in the area. The users are not being forced to become a sub district. It is totally their choice. However, users must understand that if they do not become a sub district, their system will become their responsibility upon contract payout and the district will only be responsible to deliver water to each inlet structure.
It is critical for users to understand the honest facts about this petition. The district has and will continue to hold public meetings to inform users and the public as to the true nature and facts regarding this petition as well as the consequences of this petition not being completed to form a sub district. The district is working hard to assure users that costs to users are being kept as low as possible for operation and maintenance. Skyrocketing expenses could result if a sub district does not get approved by the water users. Please get informed by the district and not by angry individuals who are not promoting ideas that are honest and factual. Call the district for your answers and attend the future public meetings to be held. Your future irrigation and pocketbooks may be at risk. Please get involved. Ask questions and find out your answers by the proper means. The district is working hard to make decisions that are always in the best interest of the district and its users.