This part shall not operate or be so construed as to impair, diminish, divest, or control any existing or vested water rights under the laws of the state of Montana or the United States or operate in emergencies such as floods, ice jams, or other conditions causing emergency handling.
Vested Water Rights Preserved And Emergency Actions Excepted
Mont. Code Ann. § 87-5-506, under Stream Protection.
Mont. Code Ann. § 87-5-506