8. Rattlesnake Creek (Clark Fork R. drainage); Board; May 25, 1995 



9. Mol Heron Creek (Yellowstone R. drainage); DNRC; November 28, 1995 



10. Rock Creek (Blackfoot R. drainage); DNRC; November 28, 1995 



1 1 . Chamberlain Creek (Blackfoot R. drainage); DNRC; January 3, 1 996 



12. Pearson Creek (Blackfoot R. drainage); DNRC; January 3, 1996 



13. Rock Creek near Garrison (Clark Fork R. Drainage); DNRC; July 13, 1998. 



Leases have been finalized on all but five (5) of the designated study streams: Swamp Creek, 

 Big Creek, Rattlesnake Creek, Rock Creek and Rock Creek near Garrison. FWP and the 

 potential lessor on Swamp Creek could not reach agreement on a price for the lease. Sprinkler 

 irrigation projects that will salvage water for instream use on Big Creek and Rock Creek near 

 Garrison are being considered for fimding. If fimded, salvaged water will be leased to FWP at no 

 cost. Discussions with the potential lessor on Rattlesnake Creek are on hold. Negotiations with 

 the potential lessor on Rock Creek (Blackfoot R. drainage) have ended without a completed 

 lease. 



EARLY LEASING CHALLENGES 



"Ask the typical man on a horse to tell you about water leasing in Montana, and you're likely to a get a blank stare if 

 not worse. Although the state's lease program is nearly four years old, not much is known about it, thus, like most 

 unknowns, it carries the burden of suspicion." 



-Montana Stockgrower, October 1993. Article on Water 



Leasing by Joyce Lancey, editor. 



"Although this idea is simple enough, the design and in^lementation of Montana's water leasing program is fraught 



with problems." 



—McKinney, M. J. 1991. Leasing water for instream flows: 

 The Montana experience. In: Rivers, Vol. 2 (3), July, 1991. 

 'p. 247. 



The leasing study got off to a slower start than anticipated for several reasons. First, FWP 

 elected to proceed at a cautious, yet deliberate, pace given the concern and controversy 

 surrounding passage of HB 707. Second, FWP proceeded to conduct several studies related to 

 leasing. One of the studies was to determine the maiket value of leasing existing water rights for 

 instream flows. Two others involved hydrologic analyses of the first two streams approved for 

 leasing to determine the possible effects of the leases on existing water users. The latter 



A-S 



