Montana will need an extremely wet spring to avoid widespread drought once summer arrives. Scientists are skeptical that the needed moisture will arrive.
Almost 95% percent of Montana is abnormally dry this winter, according to data published Thursday by the National Drought Information System.
Nowhere is the problem more acute than the Upper Clark Fork Basin east of Missoula, where snowpack and precipitation are near their lowest levels since records began in 1979.
And the situation is unlikely to improve before summer, according to forecasts from scientists with the Montana Climate Office. The office recently shared projections suggesting many parts of the state won’t recover adequate moisture.
The scientists warn that could lead to water shortages affecting agriculture, fisheries, and recreation around the state.
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A District Court judge has limited the information the Office of Public Instruction can collect before public charter schools open this fall. The City of Kalispell says one of its public water wells exceeds federal standards for PFAS, a family of chemicals that are known to cause cancer and other health issues. -
Montanans that lease state land for agriculture asked the state Land Board Monday to weigh-in on an ongoing dispute over water rights. -
The EPA has issued nationwide standards that create enforceable limits on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. States will have five years to carry out water testing and PFAS mitigation efforts under the new federal rules. -
Flathead Lake could see another year of low water levels, but it may not be as bad as the record lows set last summer. Glacier National Park announced its construction agenda for the upcoming spring and summer. -
Lawyers argued before the Montana Supreme Court Friday in a case that could determine the future of the proposed Black Butte Copper Mine in Central Montana. -
A pandemic-era program that helped low-income people keep up with their water and sewer bills is running out of funding.
