When spring started it was feared that the 1.3-acre feet allocated to local irrigators of Blaine County's five Irrigation districts would be all that local dry land farmers were likely to see. Good amounts of rainfall in June and July to date have allowed the Irrigation Districts to allocate another .7-acre feet of water to local farmers. Water began filling the ditches and canals on Friday, July 15 to the delight of many. In a letter from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Joint Board they were given a recommendation for additional water usage for a period of 28 days. The last day of the recommended period would be August 13, 2022.

The Joint Board then approved the recommendation and set an allotment of .7 acre feet of water per acre for local producers. All five districts receive the same amount of water. "Hopefully we will get the full 28 days we were allotted from the Bureau of Reclamation," said Fort Belknap Irrigation District Chair Dennis Kleinjan. "Right now, it looks like August 13 will the final day water will run and hopefully that is what will happen. It can be shortened by several things, including water flow from Fresno Reservoir. If Fresno shuts us off then that's it, we will be done for the summer."

Back in May things were bleak and it looked like the original recommendation of 1.3-acre feet would be the only irrigation local producers were likely to see. Significant rainfall in June and the first part of July changed the game completely for local farmers and ranchers alike. "Crops, as well as pastures, are really looking good right now. At the beginning of the summer, we were contemplating having to sell off some of our cows," said Kleinjan. "We were looking at just branding some of the calves and selling them so that the buyer could put their own brand on, but the rainfall changed the game and we branded everything, and we kept everything."

One local grain producer commented, "In May we really didn't think we had a chance of any kind of crop. Now, after we got some good moisture in June and July, if we can just get a little bit more down the stretch then I think we can get a 'normal' crop. We will gladly take a 'normal' crop right now, especially after where we started. "I've heard that from a lot of producers as well," said Kleinjan. "We got around 2" of moisture at our place, some got more than 4" and others got more or less."

The additional irrigation period is significant and Kleinjan wants to ensure the best outcome for producers, "This time around we want to spread it out over a longer time. Some producers still have hay on the ground, and we want to make sure they have an opportunity to get that picked up and still have the opportunity to get some water. A lot of guys look at the recent rainfall as getting an additional irrigation, so why run water over fresh irrigation. Come the first part of August they're going to be needing that water and to have it available will sure make a difference. I look for those first two weeks of August to be really busy."

The moisture has been great for the short term, but there is still a pretty good amount of concern to be had regarding future water availability, "We still have empty reservoirs, three of our pastures we just can't use because there is no water in them," said Kleinjan. "I know of a lot of guys that are in the same boat. We need one of those quick gully washers to come through and fill those reservoirs. Some folks out of Havre told me recently they had a storm come through and fill some of their reservoirs, so it is possible. If that doesn't happen, then we are going to need a good snowpack this winter to fill the reservoirs with spring run-off."