On Monday, NorthWestern Energy alerted users of Hebgen Lake that water levels will continue to drop. The lake provides cooling pulses of water to the Madison River to help ensure the stream’s trout population thrives. But with low runoff this spring, only 52% of average in the Upper Missouri River Basin, there is less water to go around this summer. That means lake levels are dropping rapidly. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warned boaters using the Crooked Creek area on Fort Peck Reservoir of low water levels. Likewise, Jackson Lake in Wyoming is falling as water is released for downstream irrigators. That means fall lake water levels could look pretty meager. To read more, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/low-water-shrinking-reservoirs-during-peak-season/article_ab6ba250-1735-5713-a2d5-8a3b2cea0487.html.
Written by Brett French | Outdoors Editor for Billings Gazette
