Honest Cattle · Carter County
Water Rights
Water Rights & Land Ownership
Carter County is Montana’s far-SE corner — badlands and pine ridges, Ekalaka the county seat, the Little Missouri River draining east toward North Dakota. Medicine Rocks State Park, the Long Pines, and Chalk Buttes define the landscape. Carter has nearly 12,000 active rights, the vast majority stock and small-irrigation diversions off creeks under the isolated rim country.
Combine the DNRC WRQS water-rights record with the Montana Cadastral using the 17-digit geocode that links them.
Active rights pulled live from DNRC WRQS on 2026-06-01. Carter spans seven basins: 38H (Little Missouri main), 39E/F/FJ (Little Missouri tributaries), 42I/J/L (Powder River side at NW edge).
Carter County Watershed Map
The Little Missouri River drains east from headwaters in the southern county. Box Elder, Cottonwood, and Sand Creeks feed it from the west and south. Beaver Creek drains the NW corner toward the Powder River system. The Long Pines and Chalk Buttes ridge complex separates the drainages.
Search Carter County water rights
- Water right format:
- 38H 12345 00 (Little Missouri main) · 39F (trib.) · 42L (Powder side).
- Primary basins:
- 38H Little Missouri · 39E/F/FJ Little Missouri tribs · 42I/J/L Powder River side.
- Interstate note:
- Little Missouri flows east to North Dakota — interstate stream-flow agreements matter in dry years.
- DNRC regional office:
- Miles City Regional Office, 406-234-0241.
- Clerk & Recorder:
- Carter County, 406-775-8749.
Quick links
Data sources: Montana DNRC, MSL/DOR Cadastral, MBMG GWIC. Active rights pulled live from DNRC WRQS on 2026-06-01. Informational only.