Drought Montana

Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee

Drought management in Montana starts with individual water users and builds from there to the local, regional and state levels. At the state level, the Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee serves as a clearinghouse for information on water supply conditions and drought mitigation actions.

The Drought Advisory Committee, known as DWSAC, is chaired by Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Director Amanda Kaster. DWSAC consists of representatives from the departments of Natural Resources and Conservation; Agriculture; Commerce; Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; Military Affairs; Environmental Quality; and Livestock. Its responsibilities include developing a state drought management plan, performing water supply assessments, reporting on local impacts, identifying mitigation strategies, and directing financial, technical and human resources to assist in regional and local drought management efforts. (MCA § 2-15-3308).

With increasing demands on already limited water resources, wise and efficient water use is critical. Through proactive, locally-initiated drought planning, federal and state resources can be harnessed to build long-term drought resilience as well as short-term emergency preparedness. DNRC coordinates DWSAC and statewide drought monitoring and assessment. For more information contact Michael Downey, Drought Program Coordinator.

DWSAC Meetings and Materials

  • October 6 - DNRC Water Resources - Fred Buck Conference Room, 1424 9th Ave., Helena, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
    | Agenda (with remote meeting link)| Meeting Recording
    • Current Conditions and 2026 Water Year Review (Michael Downey - MT DNRC)
    • Streamflow Update (Aaron Fiaschetti - USGS)
    • Northern Great Plains Regional Drought Assessment Framework (Kelsey Jencso - MT Climate Office)
    • Consecutive Dry Days – A New Metric to Measure Drought Onset (Michael Downey - MT DNRC)
    • Link for Remote Meeting Access
  • July 30 - DNRC HQ - Montana Room, 1539 11th Ave., Helena, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
    | Agenda (with remote meeting link)| Meeting Recording
    • Water Supply Outlook & Current Conditions (Troy Blandford - MT State Library)
    • Streamflow Update (Aaron Fiaschetti - USGS)
    • Wildfire Report (Matt Hall - MT DNRC)
    • D3 Drought Dashboard - Next Generation (Zach Hoylman - MT Climate Office)
    • Link for Remote Meeting Access
  •  
  • June 9 - DNRC Headquarters - Montana Room, 1539 11th Ave., Helena, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
    Meeting Agenda - June 9, 2026
  • July 6 - DNRC HQ, MT Room, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
    Agenda | Presentations | Recording
  • August 3 - DNRC HQ, MT Room, 10 am - 12:30 pm
    Agenda | Presentations | Recording
  • September 7 - DEQ Director's Conference Room (Room 111), 10 am - 12:30 pm
    Agenda | Presentations | Recording
  • October 5 - DNRC HQ, MT Room, 10 am - 12:30 pm
    Agenda | Presentations | Recording
  • December 20 - DNRC HQ, MT Room, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
    Agenda | Presentations | Recording

Current Members

Read the 2026 Summer Water Supply Outlook Report

What’s inside:

  • Summary of Recent Conditions
  • Current Drought Conditions
  • Snowpack
  • Streamflow
  • Reservoirs
  • Soil Moisture
  • Drought Outlook
  • Long-term Forecast

Plus a summary of key take-aways from the report

 

Dry prairie pothole, near Lavina, MT March 29, 2026