A New Approach in Water Management or Business as Usual? The Milk River, Montana

The legal foundation for water allocation in the West has remained relatively constant for 100 years. The rapid increase in demand relative to supply has resulted in water shortages in many regions, and the incapacity of water law to allocate such resources equitably. Collaborative processes introducing greater flexibility into the law have been advanced to resolve local issues, and a variety of approaches have thus been tested at the local level. This case study of water resources management in the Milk River basin in north-central Montana addresses the issues of water management in a basin with many jurisdictions, and the challenges of re-allocating resources during periods of drought.