The lake that rancher Lance Williamson depends on to keep his cattle alive is nearly dry.

Chain Lake, located on Williamson’s lease in Heart Butte on the Blackfeet Reservation, is usually “booming with fish.” This year, it’s the lowest he’s ever seen.

“Last year the water was low, but there was enough to get the cows through late August,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve seen the lake dry up into a puddle.”

Stay Connected with the Daily Roundup. • Email

He’s already moved his herd to a spring-fed pasture that usually stays wet through summer. But even that’s beginning to go.

The cattle are drifting toward a nearby creek they wouldn’t normally reach until August. For the first time, Williamson left the beaver dams intact — they help hold moisture. But the change in grazing route

See Full Page