HELENA, Montana (Legal Newsline) — The office of Montana Attorney General Tim Fox has announced the U.S. Supreme Court has issued an order that recognized Montana suffered damages to due to Wyoming’s alleged failure to abide by terms of the Yellowstone River Compact.
Specifically, Wyoming allegedly failed to release water to the Tongue and Powder Rivers in 2007. This alleged failure violates the 1950 compact between the two states.
The Supreme Court’s order remanded the case to the special mMaster who will determine damages and injunctive relief.
“Montana has believed all along that appropriate injunctive relief to prevent future violations by Wyoming was a critical component of the lawsuit, and this gives us the ability to seek that relief from the special master,” Fox said. “Montana and Wyoming are neighbors sharing the resource, and a defined path forward as to how that sharing will occur is key to productivity on both sides of the border.”