$1.25
your homegrown newspaper August 27, 2025
Vol. 21, No. 51
County receives drought disaster declaration from USDA By Joyce Lobeck for the Valley Journal
Landfill expansion pg. 5
Irrigation water pg. 8
Bull trout pg. 9
LAKE COUNTY — The USDA has declared Lake County a natural disaster area due to drought brought about by a hotter and drier spring. “The area has been in a D-3 drought state since July,” said Ben Montgomery, supervisory district conservationist in Lake County for the NRCS (Natural Resources and Conservation Service). He explained that D-3 on the U.S. Drought Monitor is the designation for extreme drought status characterized by widespread water shortages impacting agriculture, fish and wildlife. It is the third of four drought levels. Much of western Montana is in a similar situation, he added. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 100 percent of Lake County is suffering drought conditions ranging from moderate (63.32 percent) to severe (33.05 percent) and extreme drought (3.63 percent).
SUMMER GODDARD / VALLEY JOURNAL PHOTO
Hay is cut in a field east of Back Road near Polson in July. Little precipitation in May and June impacted the spring growth of pastures, rangeland and hay.
This has been the 37th driest June on record over the past 131 years, down 0.72 inch from normal. And this is the 34th driest year to date over the past 131 years, Montgomery said. The area received a decrease of 1.67 inches of precipitation from normal
during January to June 2025. That’s despite the nearly 12 inches of precipitation that has hit both Ronan and St. Ignatius since the beginning of the year. Montgomery said that while snowpack varies, it was nearly average last winter at 85 to 90 percent of normal in
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most sites. However, the hotter temperatures in May and June resulted in early snowmelt. This made it harder for irrigation project managers to capture water to store for the summer. At the same time, there was little precipitation in May and June, impacting the
spring growth of pastures, rangeland and hay, Montgomery said. Officially, the natural disaster declaration means that farmers and ranchers in Lake County are eligible for emergency government assistance programs. On see page 2