Wyoming-Montana water fight heads to high court

By Matthew Brown, The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday set a Jan. 10 hearing date on Montana’s claim that farmers in Wyoming are taking too much of the region’s scarce water supply.

Montana sued its southern neighbor in 2007, saying it was violating a 1950 deal to share the water of the Yellowstone River and its tributaries. The lawsuit alleges that Wyoming industries are depleting two Yellowstone tributaries — the Tongue and Powder rivers.

The outcome could have far-reaching consequences for the region’s farmers, who rely heavily on the rivers due to an arid climate. The case is also being closely watched by energy companies in Wyoming that pump vast volumes of water from underground aquifers to free up trapped natural gas.

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