Update: Both sides speak at water compact hearing

HELENA (AP) - A House panel has listened to five hours of testimony on a proposed water deal concerning the Flathead Reservation and will continue the public hearing into Saturday evening.

Proponents of Senate Bill 262 spoke for roughly four hours Saturday. Opponents were underway by 3 p.m. in Montana's House Judiciary Committee.

The measure would ratify a negotiation between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the state and federal governments regarding rights to water use in northwestern Montana.

At the heart of the issue's contention are non-tribal farmers and ranchers on and near Montana's most water-saturated tribal reservation.

Those irrigators have argued on both sides of the issue Saturday. Supporters say the deal recognizes tribal rights while ensuring non-tribal members receive water. Opponents say it would give away water rights that don't belong to the tribes.