(Havre) – The Bureau of Reclamation has released its November 2026 water supply and operating plan for the Milk River Project, highlighting mixed reservoir levels and a dry weather outlook across the region.
According to the federal report, October precipitation finished above average for most of the Milk River basin, though it remained below average in the St. Mary and upper Milk River areas. Despite these recent dry pockets, official drought conditions are currently classified as nonexistent for both major basins.
As of November first, water storage varies significantly by location. Fresno Reservoir sits at sixty-six percent capacity, which is well above its historical average. Meanwhile, Nelson Reservoir is at seventy-one percent full, and Sherburne Reservoir remains low at just twenty percent capacity.
Looking ahead, the climate outlook for November indicates a thirty-three to fifty percent chance of below-average precipitation across most of the basin, alongside a high probability of above-average temperature
