The Planning Section assists watershed groups to plan projects, acquire grant funding, prepare drought response plans and resolve water use conflicts.  Efforts are coordinated with a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations statewide.

Water Commissioner Information

DNRC has developed an educational program for water commissioners that provides annual training on commissioner responsibilities and water measurement techniques. This free training is available to anyone interested in the accurate measurement and distribution of water in Montana including state and federal water managers, water commissioners, ditch riders and dam tenders, District Court and Water Court personnel.

Video - Inside a Real-Time Stream Gage

Workshops and Technical Meetings

The 2020 Montana Water Summit  and Materials from 2018 Water Summit

Workshop on Estimating Evapotranspiration Using Remote Sensing and Surface-Energy Balance Methods - October 2015

Enhancing Streamflows Through Shallow Aquifer Recharge - Technical Meeting - May 2015

Missouri Headwaters Impact Assessment and Basin Study Workshop - December 2016

Water Education and Research Organizations

Numerous organizations promote the stewardship of Montana's water resources through education and research programs.

Montana Watershed Coordination Council (MWCC)

The Montana Watershed Coordination Council (MWCC) is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local watershed communities to promote healthy and productive landscapes across Montana.  

Montana Water Center

The Montana Water Center is one of 54 federally funded water reserarch institututes in the United States. The Montana Water Center is partnered with the Montana Institute on Ecosystems at Montana State University in Bozeman. 

Big Sky Watershed Corp

 The Big Sky Watershed Corps (BSWC) is a Montana based AmeriCorps program that places young natural resource professionals with host sites in selected communities to help build capacity for locally based watershed and conservation organizations.  Members work to build community partnerships, increase awareness of water and watershed issues working with local schools, governments and community organizations to provide water education on a variety of topics in watersheds across Montana.