News – Sheridan Media
[[{“value”:”
Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart has announced that priority water administration in the Tongue River Basin under the Yellowstone River Compact has been lifted.
State Engineer Gebhart made the announcement after receiving correspondence from the State of Montana.
While the Tongue River Reservoir did not fill to capacity, both states agreed that its ability to fill has passed in this water year due to the diminished stream flows in the Tongue River Basin.
Accordingly, there will be no further administration of Wyoming post-1950 users in order to fill Tongue River Reservoir. However, as provided in the Yellowstone River Compact and Supreme Court Decree, Montana reserves the right to make a call to satisfy direct flow rights if warranted.
Montana placed the initial call on May 5, 2026, when snowpack conditions in the Tongue River were far below average, and forecasts predicted below average spring runoff exacerbated by poor soil moisture conditions.
Despite somewhat near-normal precipitation in the Sheridan area since the call was placed, the poor winter snowpack and much lower than normal stream flows were not sufficient to fill the Reservoir.
Any storage that accrued under post-1950 water rights after the date of the call and owed to Montana will be released at the end of the irrigation season to help satisfy the shortage in the Tongue River Reservoir.
Those reservoirs affected by this administration cannot release that storage until directed by the State Engineer’s Office (SEO).
They are free to release and use water stored prior to the call, and also water stored under pre-1950 water rights.
SEO staff will soon be in contact with those affected reservoir owners to provide additional information.
Many other water users in the basin were impacted by the inability to divert post-1950 water rights during the administration period.
The lifting of the call to fill the Tongue River Reservoir allows post-1950 diversions to turn on unless their system is under priority stream regulation to satisfy an intra-state call.
Currently, intra-state stream regulation is in effect for Little Goose Creek and Big Goose Creek generally upstream of the City of Sheridan.
Only water rights that are in priority are allowed to divert.
Please contact the Sheridan Office and your appropriate district hydrographer commissioner with any questions or concerns.
“}]]
More Like this
Last modified: July 25, 2026