Montana
Montana’s statewide drought management plan being updated
By Jonathon Ambrarian (MTN Information)April 27, 2022
HELENA – Leaders with the Montana Division of Pure Sources and Conservation (DNRC) say the metrics they use to measure drought have modified — and their statewide plan for responding to drought wants to vary as properly.
“It was simply time,” mentioned Michael Downey, DNRC’s water planning part supervisor.
The present plan, which dates again to 1995, lays out how the state displays and identifies drought — together with triggers for formally classifying totally different ranges of drought and ultimately declaring a drought emergency.
Downey says it’s been key for protecting the general public knowledgeable on what the scenario actually is, and for justifying requests for federal drought help.
Downey mentioned the precise dedication of what counts as a drought gained’t change considerably, however the brand new plan will substitute a number of outdated drought indicators.
He mentioned among the greatest modifications shall be in how leaders talk drought data.
“How we work together with individuals and businesses and with the general public, and the way we do outreach to the general public, has utterly modified,” he mentioned.
DNRC has been listening to numerous considerations about drought this 12 months from the water customers they work with.
Laura Nowlin, coordinator for the Musselshell Watershed Coalition, mentioned many agricultural customers within the Musselshell basin have been planning for low water ranges since final fall.
She mentioned the situations are much like final 12 months — one other unusually dry 12 months — however the reservoirs that maintain saved water have been drawn down.
Nowlin says a lot of the work her group does has been to plan for flooding — which has a way more rapid impact.
“Drought, the impacts are simply more durable to see, and I might say in all probability longer-lasting,” she mentioned. “The restoration interval – it is dependent upon how lengthy the drought lasts.”
As leaders have a look at potential updates to the drought administration plan, they’re going to get enter from seven regional stakeholder teams.
Downey says they’ll embrace many representatives from agriculture, but in addition outfitters and guides, municipal water programs and {the electrical} energy trade.
“I believe over the course of in all probability in regards to the subsequent six months is the place we’re going to see our greatest progress by way of a product that we will present,” he mentioned.
Pedro Marques, government director of the Large Gap Watershed Committee, says his group is collaborating in stakeholder conferences, and he’s planning to have a extra targeted interview with DNRC arising quickly.
He says one in all his group’s massive priorities has been bettering water storage.
For instance, he says upstream water customers use extra irrigation water than typical, however that water absorbs into the soil and supplies later moisture downstream.
He hopes the state will have a look at choices like that in this course of.
“We would like the state to actually look creatively at what drought administration can imply,” he mentioned.
Downey says one in all their greatest targets shall be to vary the main target of the plan.
“Response is what occurs if you’re in a drought,” he mentioned. “We wish to transfer that dialog from response to preparedness. There’s been a drought in Montana in 21 of the final 22 years. Drought isn’t one thing uncommon; we reside within the arid West, and the calls for on our water provide are solely going up.”
DNRC has arrange a web-based portal the place you’ll find out extra in regards to the drought administration plan and methods you possibly can present enter as the method continues.
