Montana Title 85. Water Use § 85-8-327. Procedure at court hearing and order

(1) All issues arising upon said preliminary report shall be tried by the court without a jury.

(2) If the court shall find in favor of the remonstrance or if said report be that the proposed work will not promote the public health and will not promote the public welfare or that the benefits from said proposed work will not exceed the damages and cost of construction and no remonstrance against said report is filed, the petition shall be dismissed, the costs taxed against the petitioners, and judgment entered therefor, as provided in 85-8-350.

(3) If the preliminary report be that the benefits of said proposed work (or work proposed by the commissioners) will exceed the damages and the cost of construction and that the public health will be promoted thereby or that the public welfare will be promoted thereby and no remonstrance thereto is filed or if on the trial of the issues made on said report the court finds that the benefits will exceed the damages and cost of construction and that the public health or the public welfare will be promoted by said proposed work, the court shall make and file such findings in writing and make an order confirming said report or directing amendment of the report to conform to the findings of said court, and when so amended the court shall by order confirm the same and direct said commissioners to proceed with said work with all convenient speed.

(4) Such findings and order shall be final and conclusive unless appealed from to the supreme court within 30 days after filing thereof.