The Jefferson River Watershed Council completed the Bureau of Reclamation National Drought Resilience Partnership (NDRP) in September of 2019 along with the entities from the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Lower Gallatin, Madison, Ruby, and Upper Gallatin watersheds. This Upper Missouri River partnership is designed to improve on the ground relationships with water users and members of the public to increase drought planning unique to each basin that will work toward mitigating future impacts of climate change. Unlike reactive drought management plans, this proactive approach identifies long-term watershed vulnerabilities and impacts from drought. The drought resilience information will be utilized to prioritize issues in the watershed and identify adaptation strategies. The Jefferson River Watershed had ranchers, farmers, scientists, county representatives, and watershed council members compile different vulnerabilities and projects opportunities to act on. Currently, the plan is being used to leverage funding sources to minimize the impacts of drought in the Jefferson. You can also see previous drought committee handouts from meetings hosted during December, January, and February, 2018.
To be informed about an upcoming meeting please contact us at jeffersonriverwc@gmail.com