February 20, 2008--Justices let Montana pursue water suit against Wyoming (LA Times)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday said Montana can pursue its lawsuit that charges Wyoming with using too much water from a pair of rivers that flow between the states. Montana argues Wyoming's agricultural and energy industries are depleting the Tongue and Powder rivers at the expense of downstream residents in Montana. In a complaint filed last year, Montana asked the court to order Wyoming to leave more water in the rivers and award damages and other relief. It did not specify amounts. Wyoming officials dispute the charge, saying both states are suffering because of a prolonged drought. At the heart of the disagreement are the states' different interpretations of the Yellowstone River Compact. The 1950 agreement spelled out how states were to share water from the Tongue, Powder and other rivers within the Yellowstone River basin.
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