Metadata for Montana Water Rights Metadata for Montana Water Rights

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Identification Information:

Citation:

Originator:: Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Water Resources Division
Publication date: 02/28/2024
Title: Montana Water Rights
Online linkage: https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/NonMSDI/DNRC_WR/
Online linkage: https://mslservices.mt.gov/Geographic_Information/Data/DataBundler/

Abstract:

Water Rights of Montana in file geodatabase format (6 feature classes). The data consists of estimated locations of water right points of diversion (POD) and places of use (POU) from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) Water Rights Database. There are six separate spatial layers: Points of Diversion (x2), Places of Use polygons (x2), Points of Reservoirs (water rights associated with a reservoir; x2). Files named "WR_" contain the public version of the water right. Files named "WR1_" contain the most recently authorized adjudication version.

The WRKEY is the unique identifier for a water right. It consists of the WRID hyphenated with the version number (VERID).

Data are updated approximately twice annually.

For a more recent version of the water rights database or detailed reference information about water rights, please contact personnel at the DNRC Water Resources Division at https://dnrc.mt.gov/Water-Resources/Water-Rights/ or 406-444-6610.

For general information about water rights, see https://leg.mt.gov/content/Publications/Environmental/2018-water-rights-handbook-final.pdf.

Purpose:

Water rights are for the purpose of managing water resources. The purpose of this layer is the display and analysis of distribution of water rights.

Time period of content:

Beginning date: 12/31/1845
Ending date: 02/28/2024
Currentness reference: Ground Condition

Status:

Progress: Complete
Maintenance and update frequency: Continually

Access constraints: None

Use constraints:

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.

Point of contact:

Bret Lian
GIS Analyst
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Water Resources Division
PO Box 201601
Helena, Montana 59620-1601
Telephone: 406-444-6610
E-Mail: waterhelp@mt.gov

Data Quality Information:

Attribute accuracy report:

Water right locations and attributes reflect the contents of the MT-DNRC-WRD water rights database.

Completeness report:

Data set is a complete representation of the water rights throughout the state as stored in the DNRC water rights database.

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report:

Data Points and Polygons are generated from legal land descriptions. Most points are the centroid (point) created within the smallest parcel described in the water right record. Some points are lat,long (x,y) locations, as indicated by the "XY_Mapped" field (yes or no). Locations are estimated based on Public Land Survey descriptions of the location in the water right record and Public Land Survey section, quarter-quarter section, and government lot locations from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Geographic Coordinate Database (GCDB). The accuracy of an individual water right's location depends on whether or not the description was entered correctly when the water right was filed, whether there are typographical errors in the legal description, the level of subsection information available in the water right record (i.e. section vs. half-section vs. quarter-section vs. quarter-quarter section), and the accuracy of GCDB. Some water right legal descriptions do not match descriptions in the GCDB and locations for these water rights are estimated based on the full section location in the GCDB or on extrapolated section locations for sections that are not in the GCDB. Some water rights have legal descriptions down to the quarter-quarter-quarter-quarter section and are theoretically within a 2.5-acre parcel that contains the location.

These point locations appear to be 'grid-like,' because of the way land descriptors divide up the township and range sections into quarters or halves of a given section of land. Many of the land descriptions are as-claimed, and have not been field-checked. They are the best information available until each regional office has examined and verified all of the data.

Lineage:

Source information:

Originator:: Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Water Resources Division
Publication date: Unpublished material
Title: Montana Water Rights
Source scale denominator: 1000000
Source contribution:: The points in the data set were created by calculating centroids for parcels of land described in this source with legal land descriptions of township range section and quarter section delineations. The attributes of the water right records were copied from this source.
Beginning date: 12/31/1845
Ending date: 07/31/2022

Source information:

Originator: U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Publication date: 2010
Title: Geographic Coordinate Database (GCDB)
Online linkage: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/gcdb.html
Source contribution:: This is the source of the public land survey section boundaries used to estimate the locations of the water right points.
Beginning date: 1849
Ending date: 2009

Process step:

Estimate the coordinate of every location in the water rights database using the GCDB data. Create a point record for each water right point of diversion and point of use record, and transfer some of the water right attributes from the database to each point.

Spatial Data Organization Information:

Point and vector object information:

SDTS object type: Point

SDTS object count: 1800000

Spatial Reference Information:

Horizontal coordinate system definition:

Grid coordinate system name: State Plane Coordinate System 1983

SPCS zone identifier: 2500

Lambert conformal conic:

Standard parallel: 45
Standard parallel: 49
Longitude of central meridian: -109.5
Latitude of projection origin: 44.25
False easting: 600000.00000
False northing: 0.00000

Planar distance units: meters

Geodetic model:

Horizontal datum name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major axis: 6378137.0
Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257

Entity and Attribute Information:

Entity type label: Water Right Layer attribute tables.

Entity type definition: Water Right Layer attribute tables.

Attribute label: WRID

Attribute definition:: This field is found in all six layers. It, along with the VERID, forms the WRKEY, the unique identifier of a water right.

Attribute label: VERID

Attribute definition:: This field is found in all six layers. It, along with the WRID, forms the WRKEY, the unique identifier of a water right.

For administrative purposes, the original version of all active water rights is given (i.e. Version ID = 1). If change of information about a particular water right has occurred over time, there will be an additional version of the water right, and depending on how many changes, there will only be one other version number (greater than 1), which will represent the "current operating authority" version.

Attribute label: PURPOSE

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the place of use layers. It gives the purpose of the water use.
Attribute domain:: There are 46 possible purposes --
agricultural spraying
aquifer recharge
augmentation
commercial
domestic
erosion control
fire protection
fish and wildlife
fish raceways
fishery
flood control
flow through fish pond
geothermal heating
geothermal
industrial
institutional
instream fishery
instream flow
irrigation
lawn and garden
marketing for mitigation/aquifer recharge
mining
mitigation water
multiple domestic
municipal
navigation
observation and testing
oil well flooding
other purpose
pollution abatement
power generation
power generation, nonconsumptive
recreation
sale
sediment control
stock
storage
water marketing
waterfowl
wetland
wetland mitigation credit
wildlife
wildlife habitat
wildlife habitat maintenance and enhancement
wildlife/waterfowl
unknown

Attribute label: POUNUMBER

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the place of use layers. It differentiates between different points of use for the same water right.

Attribute label: DIVNUMBER

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the points of diversion layers. It differentiates between different points of diversion for the same water right.

Attribute label: WRNUMBER

Attribute definition:: This field is found in all the layers. It is an alphanumeric code identifying the water right, consisting of a three-character drainage basin code, a water right number, and a two-digit extended ID, separated by spaces.

Attribute label: ALLOWNERS

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the POD and POU layers. It is the owner of the water right. Water rights can have multiple owners. This field concatenates all owners, seperated by a ";"

Attribute label: MAXFLWRT

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the place of use layers. It gives the maximum water flow rate allowed by the water right. The units of measurement are given in the FLWRTUNT field.

Attribute label: FLWRTUNT

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the place of use layers. It gives the units for the MAXFLWRT field, either GPM for gallons per minute or CFS for cubic feet per second.

Attribute label: MAXACRES

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the place of use layers. It gives the maximum number of acres that may be irrigated at each point of use.

Attribute label: PRIORITYDTE

Attribute definition:: This field is found in all layers. This is the effective date of the water right.

Attribute label: MEANOFDIV

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the points of diversion layer. It gives the method of diversion.
Attribute domain:: There are 40 diversion methods --
bucket
dam
dam/pit
developed spring
dike
direct from source
ditch
ditch/gravity flow
diversion dam
drain ditch
electric pump
flowing
fueled pump
geothermal heating
gravity flow/direct
hand pump
headgate
headgate w/ditch or pipeline/flood and dike
infiltration gallery
instream
multiple
multiple
natural overflow
other
other diversion
pipeline
pit
pit/dam
pump
pump/flood and dike
pump/gravity flow
pump/headgate w/ditch or pipeline
pump/headgate w/ditch or pipeline/flood and dike
spring box
subirrigation
sump
undeveloped spring
unknown
well
windmill

Attribute label: SRCTYPE

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the points of diversion layer. It gives the type of water source.
Attribute domain:: There are 19 source types --
STREAM
WELL
GROUNDWATER
LAKE
DITCH
SWAMP
SURFACE WATER
DEVELOPED SPRING
RESERVOIR
CLOSED BASIN
DRAINAGE
UNDEVELOPED SPRING
PIT
NATURAL PIT
SUMP
WASTE WATER
WASTE & SEEPAGE
SUBIRRIGATION
MANMADE PIT

Attribute label: SRCNAME

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the points of diversion layer. This is the name of the water body source of the diversion

Attribute label: TR

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the points of diversion layer. This is the township and range location of the diversion.

Attribute label: SECNO

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the points of diversion layer. This is the public land survey section location of the diversion.

Attribute label: QSECTION

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the points of diversion layer. This is the public land survey section subdivision location of the diversion.

Attribute label: GOVTLOT

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the points of diversion layer. This is the public land survey section government lot location of the diversion.

Attribute label: ACREAGE

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the irrigation points of use layer. This is the number of acres of land that are irrigated at this use location.

Attribute label: WRTYPE

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the all of the layers. It gives the type of water right.

Attribute label: WRKEY

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the all of the layers. This is the combined WRID and VERID identifiers that gives a unique value for each water right.

Attribute label: X_METERS

Attribute definition:: The locations of most water rights are mapped to the legal land description. Some water rights, however, are mapped to their actual x,y ground location. This field stores the X location for those water rights that are located to a lat, long

Attribute label: Y_METERS

Attribute definition:: The locations of most water rights are mapped to the legal land description. Some water rights, however, are mapped to their actual x,y ground location. This field stores the Y location for those water rights that are located to a lat, long

Attribute label: XY_MAPPED

Attribute definition:: The locations of most water rights are mapped to the legal land description. Some water rights, however, are mapped to their actual x,y ground location. This field indicates Y or N if the water right point is placed at a lat, long location

Attribute label: ABSTRACT

Attribute definition:: This field is found in the all of the layers. It provides an online link to generate the water right abstract. The abstract provides key information about a water right in an easy to read report

Attribute label: LAYER_DATE

Attribute definition:: The date the GIS layer was generated from the DNRC Water Rights Database

Distribution Information:

Distributor:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov

Resource description: Downloadable Data

Distribution liability:

Standard order process:

Digital form:

Metadata Reference Information:

Metadata date: 03/04/2024

Metadata review date: 03/24/2003

Metadata contact:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, Montana 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov