BOZEMAN — On Oct. 13 City Manager Jeff Mihelich recidened the City of Bozeman's stage one water restrictions, which are aimed at outdoor watering.
Much of Montana is still experiencing an exceptional drought. The city hopes that residents don't rush to waste water.
“Keep in mind, southwest Montana and the greater Bozeman area are still experiencing drought conditions,” says Jessica Ahlstrom, Water Conservation Program Manager with the City of Bozeman.
The decision to end the drought restriction wasn't solely based on this week's snowstorm. Ahlstrom says that the city takes into account a variety of other factors.
“The city has a drought management tool, and this tool basically evaluates local water supply data, as well as regional drought indices,” says Ahlstrom. “Because of the snow and recent precipitation, we've really been able to shift and see our water supplies have improved.”
City officials say even as we head into winter and water usage tends to decrease residents shouldn't let their guard down when it comes to the drought.
“Next spring and next summer it'll be important for residents to be prepared to cut back on outdoor water use again in case we find ourselves in a similar situation,” says Ahlstrom. “Don't get too comfortable, we do have some snow and this is a good start to the winter, but it's hard to say how we’ll end up next spring.”
If you would like more information on the criteria for how the city declares a drought, you can visit the City of Bozeman website.
