Honest Cattle · Sheridan County
Water Rights
Water Rights & Land Ownership
Sheridan County is the NE corner of Montana, bordering Saskatchewan and North Dakota — Plentywood is the county seat. Big Muddy Creek drains the south county. Medicine Lake NWR sits in the southern county. About 3,200 active rights, mostly stock and small irrigation; wheat farming dominates the bench.
3,187Active water rights
Stock & IrrigationPrimary uses
1,677 mi²County area
40R · 43O · 42BDNRC basins
Active rights pulled live from DNRC WRQS on 2026-06-01. Sheridan spans three basins: 40R (Big Muddy / NE Missouri), 42B (Tongue trib — unusual at this distance, likely WRQS classification artifact), 43O (Lake Bowdoin / NE basin).
Sheridan County Watershed Map
Creeks / NWR Big Muddy Cr. Medicine Lake
Search Sheridan County water rights
DNRC WRQSOwner, priority, abstract — pre-filter on basin 40R. DNRC WaterMapperBig Muddy Cr. and Medicine Lake region. Montana CadastralParcel boundaries & geocodes. GWIC MapperWells — wheat/cattle ranches rely heavily on stockwater wells.
- Water right format:
- 40R 12345 00 (Big Muddy / NE Missouri).
- Primary basins:
- 40R Big Muddy / NE Missouri side · 43O NE Plains margin · 42B (rare allocation).
- International note:
- N-flowing tributaries cross into Saskatchewan — apportionment under Boundary Waters Treaty.
- Medicine Lake NWR:
- USFWS-managed wetland complex — water rights on refuge land coordinated with USFWS.
- DNRC regional office:
- Glasgow Regional Office, 406-228-2561.
- Clerk & Recorder:
- Sheridan County, 406-765-2310.
Quick links
Data sources: Montana DNRC, MSL/DOR Cadastral, MBMG GWIC, USFWS. Active rights pulled live from DNRC WRQS on 2026-06-01. Informational only.