Gallatin County, Montana
Southwest Montana · Bozeman · Gallatin River and Madison Range · US-191 south to Yellowstone 90 miles
- Check current snowpack, drought, streamflow, and soil moisture before stocking, hay buying, or destocking.
- See where Gallatin County calves moved in 2023 — destinations, seasonal pattern, and shipping windows.
- Look up water rights, parcels, and ownership via Cadastral, DNRC WRQS, and WaterMapper.
- Reach the District 12 brand inspector and verify cattle-buyer bonds before consigning.
Snowpack · SWE
Snow Water Equivalent — water that would result if today’s snowpack melted now.
Water-Year Precip
Total precipitation since Oct 1 — the start of the NRCS water year.
Drought Monitor
Worst drought class anywhere in the county per the U.S. Drought Monitor.
D0 abnormally dry · D1 moderate · D2 severe · D3 extreme · D4 exceptional. Percentages = share of county area at or worse than each class.
Streamflow
Cubic feet per second flowing past the nearest in-county USGS gauge right now.
Soil Moisture
VWC = Volumetric Water Content — the percent of soil volume that is water. Montana Mesonet probe average.
Shallow ≈ 4″ depth · Deep ≈ 20″ depth.
Bands (shallow + deep average): ≥ 30 % moist · 22–30 % adequate · 15–22 % drying · < 15 % dry.
Precip Anomaly
Inches above (+) or below (−) the 1901–2000 average for the latest completed 1-, 3- and 12-month periods (NOAA NCEI, monthly data) — not the water year (see the separate Water-Year Precip tile for that).
1-mo = last 30 days · 3-mo = last 90 days · 12-mo = trailing year.
12-mo bands: > +1″ wet · −0.5″ to +1″ near normal · −2″ to −0.5″ dry · < −2″ very dry.
Reading this dashboard — what these terms mean
Median vs. mean. We use the median (NRCS standard) so a single very-wet or very-dry year doesn’t skew the baseline.
Water year. Hydrology runs Oct 1 → Sep 30. Most of a year’s snowpack accumulation is captured in the same season it melts.
Percentile (streamflow). 50 = exactly typical for this calendar date. 19 = today’s flow is lower than 81 % of all readings ever recorded on this date. 81 = lower than only 19 %.
VWC (soil moisture). Volumetric Water Content. Rough field bands: under 10 % = dry, 15–25 % = productive growing-season range, over 35 % = saturated.
Drought scale. D0–D4 from the U.S. Drought Monitor, weekly Thursday release. The percentages tell you what fraction of county area is at or worse than each band — a county can be 100 % at D2 with 0 % at D3.
Precip anomaly. Inches above or below the 1901–2000 average for the latest completed 1-, 3- and 12-month periods (NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance, monthly data). Not the water year — the Water-Year Precip tile is the water-year measure. Anomaly is in inches; “% of median” is a ratio. Both useful; anomaly is easier to interpret when comparing a dry summer month to a wet spring month.
Forage Condition. A 0–100 county-scale index of rangeland forage conditions relative to this county’s own historical normal, blending satellite-observed vegetation response, growing-season moisture, drought stress, and usability. Higher = more favorable relative to local normal. Categories: 0–25 Poor, 26–50 Fair, 51–75 Good, 76–100 Excellent. Long-Term Forage Potential is a separate long-run rating, not part of the score. Beta — for regional screening and comparison, not a pasture-level forage inventory or stocking-rate recommendation.
How often this updates. The moisture and drought tiles (snowpack, streamflow, soil moisture, rain, water-year precip, drought class) refresh every morning. The Forage Condition score’s satellite vegetation read — and the separate Hay & Pasture read — refresh weekly (Mondays), because the underlying satellite imagery only updates on a ~16-day cycle. So the water tiles move day to day; the vegetation reads step forward about once a week.
Gallatin County in context
Adjacent counties in the the Gallatin River and Three Forks confluence. Gallatin County shares the Gallatin and Madison Range snowpack with these neighbors.
Click any neighbor for its full county dashboard.
Snowpack & Moisture Detail
SNOTEL station-by-station read for Gallatin County. The dashboard above gives current aggregate; this section shows where the water actually is.
Gallatin County snowpack is sharply split — high-elevation stations holding, lower drainages below median at the last spring reading (June 4, 2026). Snowpack has since melted out for the season, so this section shows how the 2026 snow season ended, not current conditions. Ten SNOTEL stations monitor county snowpack. Gallatin County watershed snowpack well below normal (county avg 69% of median); highest at Carrot Basin (99%), lowest at Sacajawea (45%).
| Station | Elev (ft) | SWE (in) | % of Median | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacajawea | 6,610 | 0.0 | 45% | Gallatin County — elevation 6610 ft |
| West Yellowstone | 6,680 | 0.0 | 68% | Gallatin County — elevation 6680 ft |
| Whiskey Creek | 6,790 | 0.0 | 70% | Gallatin County — elevation 6790 ft |
| Lick Creek | 6,880 | 0.0 | 52% | Gallatin County — elevation 6880 ft |
| Brackett Creek | 7,370 | 0.0 | 64% | Gallatin County — elevation 7370 ft |
| Madison Plateau | 7,710 | 0.0 | 68% | Gallatin County — elevation 7710 ft |
| Beaver Creek | 7,820 | 0.0 | 73% | Gallatin County — elevation 7820 ft |
| Shower Falls | 8,060 | 3.4 | 76% | Gallatin County — elevation 8060 ft |
| Black Bear | 8,160 | 1.5 | 77% | Gallatin County — elevation 8160 ft |
| Carrot Basin | 9,200 | 6.5 | 99% | Gallatin County — elevation 9200 ft |
Basin Index: Gallatin County watershed snowpack well below normal (county avg 69% of median); highest at Carrot Basin (99%), lowest at Sacajawea (45%). Drought Monitor (valid 2026-11-10): No drought (D1+) in the county. Coverage at or worse than each class: D0 23%, D1 0%, D2 0%, D3 0%, D4 0%. Station snapshot as of November 13, 2026 — live dashboard above is current.
Two-Week Rainfall
Observed (prior 14 days) and forecast (next 14 days) · Gallatin County · as of 2026-11-13
| Period | Window | Rain (in) | Normal (in) | % of Normal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prior 2 weeks (observed) | Oct 30 – Nov 12, 2026 | 0.40 | 0.86 | 47% |
| Next 2 weeks (forecast) | Nov 13 – Nov 26, 2026 | 0.16 | 0.74 | 22% |
Observed detail: 2 measurable-rain day(s) in the prior two weeks; largest single day 0.38 in.
Forecast source: NWS/NOAA api.weather.gov (days 1–7) blended with Open-Meteo gridded model (days 8–14). The next-14-day total is model-derived — NOAA quantitative precipitation forecast is precise only through ~7 days, and days 8–14 are a model blend, not an observed gauge reading.
Moisture Outlook: 1, 3, 6 and 12 Months
Expected precipitation against the 1991–2020 normal · Gallatin County · NOAA seasonal outlook issued Oct 15, 2026; monthly outlook Oct 31, 2026 · refreshed monthly
| Horizon | Window | Normal (in) | Expected (in) | % of Normal | Lean | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | November 2026 | 1.85 | 1.83 | 99% | No clear signal | Moderate |
| 3 months | Nov 2026–Jan 2027 | 5.54 | 5.28 | 95% | Slight dry lean | Low to moderate |
| 6 months | Nov 2026–Apr 2027 | 11.87 | 11.53 | 97% | Slight dry lean | Low |
| 12 months | Nov 2026–Oct 2027 | 24.43 | 23.69 | 97% | Slight dry lean | Very low |
- Odds, November 2026: 35% chance of a drier-than-normal month, 33% near normal, 32% wetter.
- Odds, Nov 2026–Jan 2027: 41% drier than normal, 34% near normal, 25% wetter.
- Temperature: November 2026 leans warmer than normal (55% chance of a warmer-than-normal month); Nov 2026–Jan 2027 slight lean warmer than normal (41% chance of a warmer-than-normal three months). Warmer weather pulls more moisture out of soil and snowpack.
- Spring growing season (Apr–Jun 2027): these three months normally bring 8.86 in, about 36% of the year’s moisture. NOAA’s early read: 45% drier, 33% near normal, 22% wetter — expected 8.50 in (96% of normal).
How it is built: NOAA Climate Prediction Center outlook odds read across Gallatin County, applied to the county’s 1991–2020 precipitation record (NOAA NCEI). Inches are county-wide averages that include mountain ground, so valley and bench ranches usually receive less; the percent of normal carries over better than the inches. Full method and limits → Prepared by Dirk Adams with the assistance of AI.
Water Rights, Irrigation & Land Ownership
The Gallatin River flows 120 miles from its headwaters in Yellowstone National Park north through Gallatin Canyon, Bozeman, and the lower valley to Three Forks. Key tributaries include the East Gallatin, Bridger Creek, and the lower-valley irrigation canals drawing from the mainstem above Manhattan.
The Gallatin River is formally over-appropriated by Montana Water Court decree — total diversion rights exceed natural flow during late-summer low-water periods, and priority administration is triggered most years by July. Agricultural diversions are concentrated in two zones: upper-canyon irrigators near Gallatin Gateway and Big Sky corridor, and the lower-valley Manhattan-Logan-Trident flat where the most productive irrigated ground sits. Senior rights (pre-1890) on the mainstem and major tributaries are held by family ranches that have irrigated continuously since territorial days; these hold through most drought years. Secondary water sources include groundwater wells in the lower valley (regulated as hydraulically connected to the river in some areas) and Hyalite Reservoir on the south Bozeman bench, which provides municipal and limited agricultural supplemental supply. Canal systems below Manhattan serve extensive alfalfa and small-grain ground; these rights are mixed senior/junior and see curtailment most dry years. Bozeman city growth has transferred significant historic agricultural water rights to municipal use over the past 20 years, reducing total agricultural diversion demand but not eliminating curtailment risk for remaining operators.
Federal Grazing Leases
BLM and U.S. Forest Service permitted grazing on public-land allotments · Gallatin County
| System | Allotments | Permitted use | Public acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 8 | 864 AUMs | 5,621 |
| U.S. Forest Service | 26 | 11,582 head-months | 137,510 |
AUMs (BLM) and head-months (USFS) are both animal-unit-months — one animal grazing for one month, the standard measure of authorized use. Acres are BLM public acres and USFS GIS acres on the mapped allotments.
Statewide maps: BLM allotment map · Forest Service allotment map. Excludes Montana DNRC state-trust grazing leases.
Land Resources
Three independent estimates of how Gallatin County’s land is used — shown side by side, never blended
Every acreage figure below comes from an independent source that measures the land a different way. We show them side by side — and never blend reported acreage, satellite pixels and tax classifications into one unexplained number. Total county area 1,667,426 acres · land in farms 655,883 acres (39% of the county).
🗺 Open the interactive land map for Gallatin County →
See crops, range, irrigated fields, public land and ownership parcels drawn live on the map.
Principal crops — official vs. satellite
| Crop | USDA Census 2022 (acres harvested) | Satellite CDL 2023 (acres present) |
|---|---|---|
| Winter wheat | 27,515 | 26,707 |
| Spring wheat | withheld | 19,508 |
| Durum wheat | withheld | 250 |
| Barley | 25,061 | 31,996 |
| Oats | 441 | 94 |
| Corn | 2,976 | 1,129 |
| Alfalfa hay | 52,598 | 65,842 |
| Other hay | 10,593 | 21,041 |
| Dry peas | 2,287 | 3,899 |
| Lentils | withheld | 368 |
| Chickpeas | withheld | 171 |
| Canola | 1,972 | 1,933 |
| Potatoes | 5,990 | 3,146 |
These columns measure different things, so they should not match. The Census counts acres actually harvested in the census year, as reported by producers; the Cropland Data Layer counts every acre the satellite saw in that crop, including fields in a crop–fallow rotation and stands not harvested. Winter wheat is the clearest example: much of the county’s wheat ground sits in fallow in any given year, so the satellite total runs well above harvested acres. CDL also over-attributes hay and forage on native range. “Withheld” means the Census suppressed the value to protect an individual operation’s privacy.
How the county’s acres classify
| Land class | USDA Census 2022 | Satellite CDL 2023 | DOR assessment 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cropland (total) | 216,776 | 210,129 | 172,247 |
| of which harvested | 163,820 | — | — |
| Irrigated land | 80,504 | — | 75,836 |
| Pasture & rangeland | 399,079 | 650,097 | 423,446 |
| Forest / woodland | 30,272 | 730,445 | 667,462 |
| Developed | — | 52,425 | — |
| Water & wetlands | — | 37,854 | — |
Three ways of counting the same ground. Census figures are producer-reported acres in farms; the satellite column is a wall-to-wall pixel classification of the whole county (so it also sees developed land, water and non-farm ground the others do not); the assessment column is the Montana Department of Revenue’s parcel-level tax classification (CAMA), which is why its cropland total tracks the Census closely while the satellite tends to run higher. Developed and open-water rows come only from the satellite. Where they disagree, no single number is “wrong” — they are measuring different things.
Irrigated land, three independent ways
80,504 USDA Census harvested irrigated cropland, 2022 | 88,573 DNRC mapped remote-sensed irrigated extent | 75,836 DOR assessed tax classification, 2026 |
The single most important acreage figure for a cattle operation, and the three sources genuinely differ. The Census counts acres actually irrigated and harvested in the census year; the Montana DOR figure is what is classified and taxed as irrigated; the DNRC mapping captures the full remote-sensed irrigated extent, including ground that carries irrigation but was idle or in another use that year — so it usually reads highest. We publish all three rather than pick one.
What each estimate means
- USDA Census of Agriculture — producer-reported, the official record. Highly credible, but taken every five years and suppressed in counties where a value would identify a single operation.
- Satellite (Cropland Data Layer) — USDA’s annual, wall-to-wall satellite classification. Complete county coverage every year, but it infers crops from imagery, so it mislabels some ground and over-calls hay and forage on native range.
- Tax / assessment — Montana Department of Revenue parcel-level classification from the CAMA assessment roll (2026 tax year), aggregated from the Montana State Library cadastral. Parcel- and ownership-based; a land classification, not an annual crop report.
Sources: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture 2022 (Quick Stats); USDA Cropland Data Layer 2023 (CropScape zonal statistics, USDA-NASS); Montana Department of Revenue CAMA assessment acreage via the MSDI cadastral parcels layer (tax year 2026); Montana DNRC Statewide Irrigation dataset. Prepared by Dirk Adams with the assistance of AI.
Local Help
Verified contacts and official destinations for Gallatin County — not a directory dump, just where to actually call
Extension, USDA, market, brand and diagnostic links go to the official Montana source; the DNRC office and phone are the specific regional office serving this county. Provider directories (veterinarians, feed dealers) will be added only once a repeatable verification standard is in place. Prepared by Dirk Adams with the assistance of AI.
Production & Sales
Operation character, hay base, and how cattle reach market from Gallatin County.
Cattle production
Gallatin County is among Montana’s most productive cow-calf counties in absolute terms, with the lower valley’s irrigated alfalfa supporting intensive winter feeding programs. Operation structure spans from 50-cow diversified farms near Bozeman to 400–800 cow ranches on the lower valley flats and in the upper canyon country. Forest Service allotments on the Gallatin National Forest are significant for upper-valley and canyon-country operators; the Gallatin Canyon corridor supports summer grazing on allotments accessed from US-191. Some operations retain ownership through yearling phase, selling 800-pound steers in fall direct to feedlots in the Billings basin. MSU Extension and proximity to Bozeman gives Gallatin County operators above-average access to veterinary and nutritional support.
Hay & winter feed
The lower Gallatin valley between Manhattan and Logan produces some of the highest-quality alfalfa in southwest Montana — 3.0–4.0 tons per acre in good water years on laser-leveled irrigated ground. Three-cut systems are practiced by the most intensive operators with adequate water. Upper-valley irrigated meadows near Gallatin Gateway produce alfalfa-grass mix at 2.0–2.8 tons per acre. First cut runs late May; second cut mid-July; third cut (lower valley only, in good years) early September. Purchased hay from Beaverhead and Madison counties supplements lower-valley production when curtailment reduces second-cut yields.
Logistics · sale barns & trucking
Bozeman is the commercial hub with direct I-90 access east to Billings (140 miles) and west to Missoula (200 miles). Gallatin Valley Livestock auction at Manhattan handles substantial fall feeder runs with District 12 brand inspection. Montana Livestock at Billings is the primary large-volume market. US-191 south to Big Sky and West Yellowstone is the primary upper-valley route; seasonal no issues for livestock trucking on I-90. Rail access at Manhattan/Logan provides direct feedlot shipping option for large volume operators. Belgrade airport supports charter and freight connections for ranch management on larger operations.
Licensed Processing Plants
2 federally inspected and 2 state-inspected plants operating in Gallatin County — establishment IDs and contacts, verified against the federal and state directories
Meat from federally inspected and state-inspected plants can be sold; custom-exempt plants are not listed here. Verified August 2026 against the USDA FSIS Meat, Poultry & Egg Product Inspection Directory and the Montana Department of Livestock state plant list (Jan 2026). Grants of inspection change — call before you haul.