Montana’s Future Is All About Water

Karli Johnson, a sixth-generation rancher from Choteau and Montana Farm Bureau’s director of state governmental affairs, highlights the clash between preserving senior water rights and managing growth fueled by exempt wells. This tension reflects a structural challenge in balancing rural agricultural needs with a growing population.

Since 2020, Montana’s population has increased by 60,000, intensifying pressure on water resources. Exempt wells, small water systems exempt from standard permitting, number approximately 141,000 across the state. Roughly 72% serve domestic homes, collectively withdrawing billions of gallons annually without regulatory checks designed to protect senior water rights. Attempts to limit these exemptions legislatively have failed for three decades. In November, a lawsuit was filed in Lewis and Clark County challenging the constitutionality of exempt wells. Montana Farm Bureau and the Senior Water Rights Coalition are now collaborating on legislative proposals aimed at simplifying permitting for small water uses while safeguarding senior rights.

This ongoing legal and legislative effort will shape Montana’s water governance in coming years.

For Montana, where ranching heritage runs deep and water rights are constitutionally protected, the stakes are high. The state’s expansive rural landscapes and growing subdivisions may exacerbate tensions over water access. Montana businesses and communities could see significant shifts depending on how exempt wells are regulated amid ongoing population growth.

Montana is at a crossroads between preserving agriculture and managing growth
By Karli Johnson