In June, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council declared a state of emergency for the Blackfeet Reservation due to "intensifying and prolonged drought conditions."

In a press release earlier this year a Tribal Council Chairman said the reservation "is facing a critical water crisis that demands immediate and comprehensive action."

The area has been in a drought for five years.

Longtime ranchers can't remember a time when drought like this plagued the region. Ponds that used to serve as reliable sources of water have run dry and the grasslands cattle typically graze on to reach market weight have shriveled. The issues have forced some ranchers to scale back their operations, causing financial harm and stress in an area where agriculture takes up the majority of the land and has long been

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