Honest Cattle · Lewis and Clark County

Water Rights

Lewis and Clark County, Montana

Water Rights & Land Ownership

Lewis and Clark is the capital county — Helena is the state capital, sitting in the Helena Valley with the Big Belts to the east and the Continental Divide to the west. The Missouri River flows through the county into Canyon Ferry. Augusta and the Sun River drainage occupy the NW corner. The county straddles the Continental Divide: most of the county drains to the Missouri, but the NW corner drains west into the Blackfoot / Clark Fork system. Over 22,000 active rights.

22,880Active water rights
IrrigationPrimary use
3,461 mi²County area
41I · 41J · 76GDNRC basins (primary)

Active rights pulled live from DNRC WRQS on 2026-06-01. Lewis & Clark spans eight basins: 41I (Sun R.), 41J (Missouri above Sun), 41K (Marias edge), 41QJ (Smith side), 41U (Dearborn), 76F/76G (Clark Fork tribs west of divide), 76J (Blackfoot).

Lewis & Clark County Watershed Map

Lewis and Clark County, Montana Continental Divide / Bob Marshall Big Belt Mtns Helena Valley Canyon Ferry Lake (S) Missouri R. ↑ Sun R. → Dearborn R. Blackfoot (W of divide) HELENA Augusta Lincoln (W) Wolf Creek N ~16 mi
Rivers / Lake Missouri R. Sun R. Dearborn R. Blackfoot (W of divide) Helena Valley

Search Lewis & Clark County water rights

Water right format:
41I 12345 00 (Sun) · 41J (Missouri above Sun) · 76J (Blackfoot, W of divide).
Primary basins:
41I Sun · 41J Missouri · 41K/41QJ/41U Missouri tribs · 76F/76G/76J Clark Fork-Blackfoot W of divide.
Continental Divide:
NW corner west-of-divide parcels drain to Clark Fork (76 series) — different administrative basin and downstream call structure.
Canyon Ferry context:
USBR storage just south in Broadwater — Missouri main-stem rights coordinated with project releases.
DNRC regional office:
Helena Regional Office, 406-444-6999.
Clerk & Recorder:
Lewis and Clark County, 406-447-8334.

Quick links

Data sources: Montana DNRC, MSL/DOR Cadastral, MBMG GWIC, USBR. Active rights pulled live from DNRC WRQS on 2026-06-01. Informational only.

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