Montana
Mother Nature will continue to limit growth in Montana and the West • Daily Montanan
“For there is not sufficient water to supply the land.” – John Wesley Powell, 1893
The basic tenet of capitalism is that continuous growth is necessary for the economy. And indeed, our politicians from both major parties wholeheartedly and without question embrace the unrealistic concept that you can have infinite growth on a finite resource base.
But as the West’s climate-caused mega-drought continues, it appears Mother Nature is about to tune us up to the fact that she, not the theoretical economists, calls the shots and will, whether they like it or not, limit Montana’s out-of-control and out-of-resources growth.
Not that this wasn’t foreseen.
“Gentlemen, you are piling up a heritage of conflict and litigation over water rights. For there is not sufficient water to supply the land.” That prescient advice was rendered at an irrigation conference in 1893 by John Wesley Powell, who had a vast wealth of experience in the West, including being the first to take open boats down the raging — and now drying — Colorado River in his 1869 expedition.
His prophetic vision was ignored by powerful railroad barons, intent on “settling the West” and plundering its vast resources. Yet, only 30 years after Powell’s warning, their dreams of continuous growth and vast profits did nothing to fend off the Dust Bowl that would bring an end to thousands of subsistence farmers, literally blowing them off the powdered, bone-dry land due to a lack of rain and snow.
A century later, the West is now faced with a similar lack of precipitation, and as Powell predicted, the “heritage of conflict and litigation over water rights” is sweeping the West thanks in large part to the fact that state governments have awarded more water rights than there is water in the rivers to fulfill them.
The examples are many, and stacking up every day. Here in Montana the Big Hole, our once world-famous trout stream, is experiencing collapsing trout populations due to low flows and high water temperatures. Even the rivers draining Glacier National Park are struggling with lack of water due to increasingly lower snowpacks. One only need look at our brown mountains in December to see the proof and wonder “when will it snow?”
Or how about the continuing desiccation of the Great Salt Lake — which threatens to make Salt Lake City unlivable for its three million residents due to the toxic dusts blowing off the dry salt flats? In desperation, the state has already spent tens of millions of dollars trying to re-water the lake. And now, some $50 million of federal money is being thrown down that black hole trying to deny the drought while another $10 million is slated to lease water rights. But here’s the rub, water leasing only works if there’s water in the rivers to lease.
Closer to home, a real estate developer is proposing “Old Town Sheridan,” an 800-home development in Sheridan, Montana, that is being pitched “as a veteran-centered, faith-based community with everything from light manufacturing to an equine center and a golf club.” It’s laughable since the would-be developer has no land and apparently hasn’t checked the flows in the Jefferson River, which saw its golden days as a trout stream pass many years ago and now barely trickles to the confluence with the Gallatin and Madison at Three Forks.
It’s obvious there’s no limit to greed in the West. But in the end, as Powell predicted, it will be Mother Nature that puts the limits on growth in our naturally arid region — and it’s about time we acknowledged that inescapable truth.
Carrie Gilbertson has been executive director of Cancer Support Community Montana for just under two months, stepping into the role in April with more than 15 years of nonprofit experience and a lifetime of Montana roots.
The organization provides psychosocial and mental health support to anyone affected by cancer — not just those with a diagnosis, but also family members and others walking alongside them.
WATCH: Meet the new leader of Cancer Support Community Montana 🎗️
Cancer Support Community Montana names new executive director
“This mission of providing psycho-social supports and mental health supports for anyone impacted by cancer, not just that person who has the diagnosis, but also family members, anyone who is walking alongside someone as they experience that often scary diagnosis, that’s just something that’s important to me,” Gilbertson said.
Gilbertson’s role extends beyond the Bozeman office. Cancer Support Community Montana’s Missoula location is already up and running, and a Helena location is expected to be operating soon. Each presents its own set of challenges.
“Each hospital is different. They might have different resources. Their social workers might be connecting to things in a different way. So understanding what those hospitals need, what different participants need in each community, is going to be different just because the communities are different, resources are different,” Gilbertson said.
The Bozeman office has been operating for more than 20 years, providing a foundation that supports the organization’s broader statewide efforts.
“I think this is a crew that looks at what does this community need what do our participants need what are some of the changing landscapes in cancer care what things are the gaps that we see that we can maybe just jump right in and you know let’s see if we can provide that for people so that’s something I really love about this crew that I work with and just this mission that there is some flexibility in being able to adjust and adapt as we learn more,” Gilbertson said.
Those adaptations show up in unexpected ways. The organization converts its parking lot into a pickleball court every Friday morning.
“I didn’t know there was a pickleball court. I pulled in actually with my daughter pulled in and she was is that pickleball court and I was like oh, it kind of looks like it is so yeah that’s fun, every Friday morning we clear out the parking lot and put up the net and I haven’t played yet I’ve been watching just to kind of see how that game works but they take it pretty seriously,” Gilbertson said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 17 drawing
03-26-49-53-61, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 17 drawing
11-16-18-33-51, Star Ball: 09, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 17 drawing
01-16-17-27, Bonus: 01
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from June 17 drawing
13-22-35-36-39
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Death in detention: deported migrant woman describes conditions inside ICE facility
Deported migrant woman recounts harsh ICE detention conditions after her husband died from medical complications inside Camp East Montana.
The Department of Homeland Security told the El Paso Times that two suspected overdoses at Camp East Montana over Memorial weekend were related to an overdose of psychiatric medication and a “self-harm” incident.
In both incidents on May 23 and May 24, the detainees were taken to the Rio Vista Behavioral Health center, a DHS spokesperson said.
The 35-year-old detainee who overdosed on psychiatric medication on May 23 was returned to the immigration detention center the same day and is in stable condition. The 34-year-old who overdosed on May 24 is currently being monitored by ICE medical staff after being returned.
“When there are signs of a detainee self-harming, staff abides by strict prevention and intervention protocol to ensure the detainee’s health and wellbeing is protected,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. “ICE requires annual suicide prevention training and provides mental health service to detainees.”
The DHS spokesperson said that ICE provides “comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.”
The El Paso ICE detention center is the largest in the country, with a capacity to hold 5,000 people. Allegations of human rights abuses have plagued the site since it opened in August 2025.
At least three suspected overdoses have occurred at Camp East Montana, according to 911 emergency calls analyzed by the El Paso Times. The first suspected overdose was reported on Feb. 28, involving a 60-year-old male detainee.
Rising deaths, suicides in ICE detention
At least 50 migrants have died in ICE custody since President Donald Trump returned to office, with 18 deaths occurring in 2026. At least 10 of these deaths were suicides, an investigation by the Associated Press found, including Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan migrant who died at Camp East Montana on Jan. 17.
U.S. representatives, including Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, Angie Craig, DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party)-Prior Lake, and other political leaders, have raised concerns about the conditions at the detention center following more than a dozen oversight visits. Congressional representatives have repeatedly raised concerns over detainees’ access to medical and mental health services.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the ACLU, Texas Civil Rights Project, Human Rights Watch and the law firm Farella Braun + Martel LLP sued ICE on behalf of four detainees held at Camp East Montana over “horrific” human rights abuses in May 2026.
Jeff Abbott covers the border for the El Paso Times and can be reached at:jdabbott@usatodayco.com; @palabrasdeabajo on Twitter or @palabrasdeabajo.bsky.social on Bluesky.
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