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Hi3 Water

Montana Water Assets

Rocky Mountain

Montana's water resources span the Continental Divide with both Pacific and Missouri River basin watersheds. The state has active water rights adjudication.

Prior Appropriation58 counties tracked2052 active alerts
72,193
Total Assets
53.1
Avg WIS
45,851
Verified
1
High WIS (75+)

Montana Water Intelligence Report

Hi3 Water tracks 72,193 water assets across Montana, spanning 58 counties and 8 distinct asset types. The average Water Intelligence Score (WIS) across Montana is 53.1/100, with 1 assets scoring in the high-value range (75+). Montana operates under Prior Appropriation water law, which directly affects water rights acquisition and asset valuation in this state.

The dominant water asset type in Montana is River (38,957 assets, avg WIS 61.9). The highest concentration is in Big Horn County with 1,383 tracked assets.

2,052 active regulatory alerts are currently tracked in Montana, including EPA violations, drought declarations, and state water board enforcement actions. Always check the regulatory intelligence for any asset before making acquisition decisions.

Data sources: USGS Water Data, EPA ECHO, state water boards, and verified field reports. Water Intelligence Scores are computed across flow rate, geological stability, legal accessibility, sustainability, and rarity. Report last updated: June 29, 2026.

Asset Types in Montana

River
38,957
Avg WIS 61.9
Well
23,763
Avg WIS 42.2
Spring
3,370
Avg WIS 41.9
Reservoir
3,052
Avg WIS 49.0
Lake
2,145
Avg WIS 42.3
Glacier
903
Avg WIS 42.8
Aquifer
2
Avg WIS 74.0
Fossil Water
1
Avg WIS 76.0

Intelligence Grade Distribution

How Montana assets are graded

S (≥90) — Exceptional0 (0.0%)
A (75-89) — Excellent1 (0.0%)
B (55-74) — Good35,315 (48.9%)
C (35-54) — Fair36,877 (51.1%)
D (<35) — Limited0 (0.0%)

Regulatory Alerts

Drought, EPA violations, and enforcement actions affecting Montana

12
critical
26
high
2008
medium
6
low
0
info
Lodge Creek near Chinook, MT — Gage Height 18.2 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
Bighorn R bl Yellowtail Afterbay Dam nr St. Xavier — Gage Height 59.6 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
Tongue River at Tongue R Dam nr Decker MT — Gage Height 10.3 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning

Top Counties in Montana

Big Horn
1,383 assetsWIS 42
Gallatin
1,219 assetsWIS 42
Roosevelt
1,143 assetsWIS 41
Judith Basin
1,124 assetsWIS 41
Powder River
1,118 assetsWIS 43
Rosebud
1,009 assetsWIS 42
Lewis and Clark
830 assetsWIS 42
Dawson
808 assetsWIS 42
Flathead
806 assetsWIS 42
Richland
787 assetsWIS 41
Missoula
751 assetsWIS 42
McCone
719 assetsWIS 43

Aquifer Type Mix

unconfined
568
Avg WIS 46
confined
361
Avg WIS 53
fossil
1
Avg WIS 76

Top 10 Water Assets in Montana

Ranked by Water Intelligence Score — Montana's highest-scoring springs, wells, and aquifers.

View all on map
  1. 1

    Madison Artesian Fossil Well — Eastern Montana

    Fossil Water
    Fallon County·150 GPM
    76
    WIS
  2. 2

    Kootenai Formation Aquifer — Great Falls Region

    Aquifer
    Cascade County·150 GPM
    74
    WIS
  3. 3

    Northern Great Plains Aquifer — Fox Hills-Hell Creek

    Aquifer
    Richland County·100 GPM
    74
    WIS
  4. 4

    Delmoe Lake Dam

    Reservoir
    ·852,779 GPM
    70
    WIS
  5. 5

    Norwegian Creek Dam

    Reservoir
    ·538,597 GPM
    70
    WIS
  6. 6

    Hardpan Creek

    River
    ·5,110 GPM
    69
    WIS
  7. 7

    Sucker Creek

    River
    ·3,945 GPM
    69
    WIS
  8. 8

    Hensley Creek

    River
    ·2,476 GPM
    69
    WIS
  9. 9

    Black Canyon Creek

    River
    ·9,856 GPM
    69
    WIS
  10. 10

    Mesa Creek

    River
    ·1,037 GPM
    69
    WIS
Avg Flow Rate
170,467 GPM
Avg Depth
164 ft
For Sale
0
Fossil Water
1

Explore Montana on the Interactive Map

View all 72,193 water assets, aquifer boundaries, water rights data, and regulatory alerts for Montana.

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