July 2017 Records of Distribution

Zone 1 - Lower Teton River

Zone 2 - Upper Teton River
Zone 2 - Upper Teton River - Amended
Zone 2 - Upper Teton River - Second Amended

Zone 3 - Muddy Creek

Zone 4 - Deep Creek

Zone 5 - Spring Creek

June 2017 Records of Distribution

Zone 1 - Lower Teton River

Zone 2 - Upper Teton River
Zone 2 - Upper Teton River - Amended

Zone 3 - Muddy Creek

Zone 4 - Deep Creek

Zone 5 - Spring Creek

August 2017 Records of Distribution

Missing Zone 1 - Will post when I receive it from Clerk of Court

Zone 2 - Upper Teton River

Zone 3 - Muddy Creek

Zone 4 - Deep Creek

Zone 5 - Spring Creek

April 2017 Records of Distribution

Zone 1 - Lower Teton River

Zone 2 - Upper Teton River

Zone 3 - Muddy Creek

Zone 4 - Deep Creek

Zone 5 - Spring Creek

May 2017 Records of Distribution

Zone 1 - Lower Teton River

Zone 2 - Upper Teton River
Zone 2 - Upper Teton River - Amended

Zone 3 - Muddy Creek

Zone 4 - Deep Creek

Zone 5 - Spring Creek

Draft Upper Teton River Petition & Proposed Order

Upper Teton River Petition

Attachment A

Proposed Order Appointing Commissioners

Lower Teton River Petition to Appoint a Water Commissioner

Filed yesterday.

Zone 1 Petition to Appoint Water Commissioner

I am still working on my draft for Zones 2-5.  I hope the two petitions will be complimentary, not conflicting, but if anyone has any concerns or comments please don't hesitate to contact me or leave a comment to this post.

October 2017 Records of Distribution

Zone 2 - Upper Teton River

Zone 3 - Muddy Creek

Zone 4 - Deep Creek

Zone 5 - Spring Creek

Will post zone 1 when I receive it.

September 2017 Records of Distribution

Zone 1 - Lower Teton River

Zone 2 - Upper Teton River

Zone 3 - Muddy Creek

Zone 4 - Deep Creek

Zone 5 - Spring Creek

Fall Update

Hello everyone!  Peter Fritsch writing.  Seems winter has arrived early with many areas seeing 6"of snow or more throughout the basin in the last 24hrs.  Some locations near the front may see more than a foot!

I am sure most are aware of our final call in early September that lasted for less than a week.  I won't go into much detail now.  Suffice it to say, the call was lifted by the arrival of a significant fall rain event.  The rain spelled a much needed end to a 90 day run of drought and above average temperatures throughout the basin.

First update relates to my involvement with the Teton River Distribution Project.  I left the Montana Water Court and am no longer a Standing Water Master.  Orders rescinding my appointment have been issued by Judge Olson and Judge Boucher.

Second update relates to my appointment as chief water commissioner in the Teton River Distribution Project.  A petition was filed with the 9th & 12th Judicial District Court.  The water users who signed the petition represent a significant majority of the water right interests in the basin.  Both Judge Olson and Judge Boucher approved the appointment.

Third update relates to fall meetings for the Teton River Distribution Project.  See the schedule below.  Start times will be 6:30 and will run as long as needed.

Upper Teton River - Monday October 23rd - 6:30p at John Henry's backroom in Choteau
Lower Teton River - Tuesday October 24th - 630p at the Community Bible Church in Ft Benton
Spring Creek - Wednesday October 25th - 100p at the Choteau County Courthouse
Muddy Creek - Friday October 25th - 6:30p at Choteau County Annex Building
Deep Creek - Monday October 30th - 6:30p at John Henry's backroom in Choteau

Fourth update relates to a single basin wide meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 9th - 6:30pm at the Stage Stop Inn in Choteau, MT.  I will have a draft petition for water users to review as of this meeting.  I will try to make it available prior to the meeting, including posting it here in pdf form.  The Teton River Watershed Group is facilitating this meeting and will have additional presentations.  I will post an itinerary from Kevin Stone as soon as he provides me with one.

Summer Synopsis

Hello again - 

Hopefully everyone is able to view the two videos of Spring Coulee and Muddy Creek taken by Steve Kelly a few days ago.  A good run of lower temperatures and sporadic precipitation throughout the drainage have caused Teton River flows from the Hwy 221 bridge to Loma to rise significantly.  

The cooler weather was a very welcomed change as the persistent drought and heat wave throughout the entire month of July had created significant pressure on the lower river system through evapo-transpiration.

On approximately July 6th, the first call in the basin was made to 1950.  This shut off the New Rockport Colony and other junior water users in Zone 1.  

On approximately July 10th, after seeing little impact to the falling flows from the 1950 call, a call to 1897 was made to try and stay ahead of the rapidly falling flows throughout the basin.  This shut off all irrigation throughout the Lower Teton River (Zone 1) and Muddy Creek (Zone 3).  Certain groundwater irrigation was also shut off because of known impacts on river flows and neighbors' water availability.

On approximately July 19th, the first call on Deep Creek water on behalf of lower river water users was made to 1892.  This resulted in Deep Creek contributing a small amount of water to the system, but the flows continued to drop as the heat wave continued unabated.  

After holding a meeting with all the commissioners, a second call was placed on Deep Creek to May 1883 on approximately July 25th.  At this point all available water had been called to fill a senior 1890 stock right in the vicinity of loma..Concerns were high that the next step would bring zero flows retreating rapidly towards the senior 1873 stock right which in 2016 caused a mass calling of the river. The calls to 1883 prouduced enough additional flow in conjunction with much cooler weather to turn the tide in the lower river.

We are now 10+ days beyond the change in weather and we feel confident in lifting the May 1883 call.  

The current call date basin wide shall be set at December 31, 1897.  This call lift affects Zones 1, 3, and 4.  Zones 2 and 5 continue to be affected by localized shortages resulting in more senior call dates.​

Spring coulee at new Rockport

Muddy at Collins 

Inaugral Post

Hello Everyone!  I am pleased to finally announce the Teton River Distribution Project's completion!

Please bear with me as I try to figure out how to post pictures and videos that the commissioners have been collecting.

Tonight I will post the details of call lift in response to the cooler temperatures and subsequent higher flows at the Dutton and Loma gages.  Thanks for your patience.

Standing Water Master - Peter Fritsch