Dam dispute sparks debate among historians over Lewis and Clark’s navigation of Missouri River

HELENA, Mont. — A case before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday over who owns the riverbeds beneath 10 Montana dams has drawn intense interest because of the potential effects on property rights, public access and wildlife management — but it has also spurred debate among historians as both sides reach more than 200 years into the past to bolster their arguments.

PPL Montana is appealing a Montana Supreme Court ruling that the state owns the submerged land beneath 10 dams sitting on three Montana rivers, and that the company owes Montana tens of millions of dollars in rent....