LOw Flows forecast for Montana's Missouri RIver

Low flows forecast by the Bureau of Reclamation coming in at 3k or less for the remainder of the season. Not only will the flows be below average for the remaining days this calendar year they will certainly be low through the spring until the 2025-26 winter snow pack hopefully makes it to the rivers, reservoirs and lakes in our Rocky Mtn. region.

Shit.

If you remember we witnessed and endured lower than average flows recently before eh respite the last 18 months. Desperately low flows happen often on many or our resources not withstanding the Mighty Mo.

John and I for th tenure of our time here in Craig have seen flows on the low side, on the high side, and just right-in the middle the past 25+ years.

Historically we see water flows on a three year cycle. Maybe not a cycle. But the average of the past 30 years shows us that every 3rd year we have low water. Every third year we have average water flows. And the great years we have higher than average water flows.

The last fright we endured was the ‘22-’23 season. The river was miraculously saved with a long spring that included more cold weather in conjunction with spring snows and late spring rains. And the summers of ‘23 and ‘24 were a couple of the better summer dry fly years in recent memory.

But back to the current state of affairs…shit.

Only one thing to do. Snow dance. Rain jig. Water gyrations. H2O romps.

Either by yourself, or with your kids, or a flash mob, dudes in waders dancing on whiskey performed for the water gods.