Montana’s Call On Tongue River Water Lifted

State Engineer Brandon Gebhart has announced that priority water administration in the Tongue River Basin under the Yellowstone River Compact has been lifted.

Gebhart made the announcement after receiving a letter from the State of Montana indicating the call was being lifted due to the improved hydrologic conditions within the basin.

With Tongue River Reservoir in Montana likely to fill, administration activity is no longer required in Wyoming.

Montana placed the initial call on April 1, 2022, when snowpack conditions in the Tongue River were below average, and forecasts predicted below average runoff exacerbated by poor soil moisture conditions.

However, since April 1st, major improvements have occurred, including increased snowpack of about 40% combined with improved soil moisture conditions and increased water storage in Tongue River Reservoir.

The priority administration largely applied to storage accruals of post-1950 storage rights in Wyoming reservoirs.

Any water stored in those reservoirs is now available for its permitted use, and is no longer subject to a later release to satisfy a shortage in Tongue River Reservoir.

Many other water users in the basin were impacted due to the inability to divert post-1950 water rights during the administration period.

The Yellowstone River Compact Commission Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members, consisting of Wyoming, Montana and United States Geological Survey employees, continues to explore options to improve forecasting methods within the Tongue River Basin. The TAC is dedicated to improving forecasting skill in order to better predict spring runoff and the need for interstate administration in any given year.

While the call to fill Tongue River Reservoir has lifted, any priority administration for senior Wyoming water rights is still in effect and many of the area rivers are likely to see normal stream regulation after the runoff period due to calls from senior appropriators.

Montana still reserves the right to place a call in the future, if conditions warrant.