News Release
Despite Recent Precipitation, Drought Committee Identifies 37 Severe Drought Counties
5/22/2002
Meta Boyer
406-444-5665
meboyer@state.mt.us
“Much of eastern Montana is facing its fourth year of drought,” said Lt. Governor Ohs. “We have experienced modest gains in precipitation in recent weeks. However, without continued improvement in water supply and moisture conditions, the cumulative effects of years of severe drought mean we can easily slip back from the improvement we have seen.”
The committee identified 37 counties that meet the plan’s criteria for intense level of drought – the “Severe Drought” status. Counties that meet the Severe Drought status cut a broad swath through the middle of the state, stretching from Canada to Wyoming, including:
Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Choteau, Custer, Fallon, Fergus, Gallatin, Glacier, Golden Valley, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lewis & Clark, Liberty, Madison, Meagher, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Silver Bow,
Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone
All counties in Severe Drought status lie east of the Continental Divide.
The eight counties that currently warrant the “Drought Alert” level of preparedness include:
West of the Continental Divide
Granite, Powell, Deer Lodge, Lake
East of the Continental Divide
McCone, Richland, Prairie, Rosebud
The remaining eleven counties, absent from the Alert or Severe county lists are:
West of the Continental Divide
Lincoln, Flathead, Sanders, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli
East of the Continental Divide
Daniels, Sheridan, Roosevelt, Garfield, Dawson
The committee noted close to normal fall and spring precipitation for the eleven counties without alert or severe status in setting them apart from the 37 counties listed as Severe Drought counties, where drought remains firmly entrenched. The improvements are based upon recent precipitation events. Given the extensive background period of moisture deficits, these noted improvements are fragile and could be easily reversed.
In making its assessment, the committee compared current water supply and soil moisture conditions with criteria set forth in the Montana Drought Response Plan. The plan identifies specific actions for the committee and local drought committees depending upon the severity of conditions.
A late season boost in the snow water content of the state’s mountain snowpack improved surface water supply forecasts, but Roy Kaiser of the Natural Resources Conservation Service Snow Survey cautioned that dry upland and valley soils will intercept a significant amount of the runoff from mountain snowfields where much of the winter’s snow remains due to unusually cool temperatures during March, April and early May.
“At the same time that we classify the drought status of the state’s counties in strict accordance with our plan, it is still too early to confirm that recovery is underway in given counties and will be lasting,” said Lt. Governor Ohs.
The committee will continue to monitor changes in conditions and will report when it meets again, June 13, at the Capitol.
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