Montana Water Summit

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation did an amazing job hosting Montana's first Water Summit, which attracted over 300 people representing natural resource managers from federal, state and tribal agencies, legislators, conservation groups, farmers and ranchers, engineers, NGOs, and other stakeholders concerned with Montana's climate and water resources. 

The Summit was held in Helena on March 6 and 7 and included panels with policy specialists, scientists, water users, and resource managers and regulators. Results from this project were presented in a keynote entitled 'Montana's Water and Climate' that addressed how the key findings in the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment affect agricultural production, what regions of the state are most vulnerable to precipitaiton shortfalls, and how hydro-economic models of agricultural production, developed collaboratively between researchers and state water managers, can inform better water management. 

The event was a success and was amply covered by the regional media including Montana Public Radio, the Missoulian, The Helena Independent Record, or the Great Falls Tribune.