
Madison River Drought Management
Our operations on the Madison River

Our operations on the Madison River
Hebgen is a storage reservoir and provides many benefits, including recreation and fish habitat. It also supports irrigation and electric generation downstream.
Hebgen Dam does not produce energy. We use Hebgen Dam to manage flows downstream for the Madison River fishery and Ennis Lake elevations.
Ennis Lake elevations are controlled by Madison Dam, which produces power. Madison Dam was recently upgraded a 12-megawatt facility, up from 8 megawatts.
Low snowpack could make for challenging water year in 2025

Low snowpack could make for challenging water year in 2025
A snowpack that was looking good in late March was all for naught. We have not seen much precipitation, and above-normal temperatures in April and May have resulted in a downward trend in the snowpack.
Hebgen Reservoir Conditions
Currently, outflows are at 579 cfs below Hebgen and will stay lower to help fill the lake.
Snowpack

Snowpack
Runoff Forecasts
May runoff forecasts from NRCS show May–July runoff to be 84% of normal or lower. These months are critical, as this water is the main source for filling the reservoir. The NRCS runoff forecast table shows a May–July 50% exceedance at 240 KAF (Thousand Acre-Feet), while NorthWestern Energy is forecasting these months closer to the 70% exceedance at 215 KAF. Inflows during this period could resemble recent low-runoff years such as 2021, 2016, and 2013.
Snowpack report
(As of Thursday, May 14, 2025)
Station Name | Snow Water Equivalent (in) | Median Snow Water Equivalent (in) (1991-2020) | Snow Water Equivalent % of median (1991-2020) |
---|---|---|---|
Black Bear | 24.0 | 38.8 | 62 |
Madison Plateau | 11.1 | 19.6 | 57 |
West Yellowstone | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Whiskey Creek | 5.3 | 8.7 | 61 |
Weather Forecast
The short-term weather forecast indicates potential for precipitation and below-normal temperatures. However, the long-term forecast is calling for below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures.
NorthWestern Energy will continue to monitor snowpack conditions throughout the remainder of winter and spring. If current trends continue, it could be another challenging water year.
Managing water temperatures to protect the fishery

Managing water temperatures to protect the fishery
In the summer, we provide pulse flows out of Hebgen Lake into the Madison River below Ennis Lake. Our pulse flow program is designed to maintain lower Madison River temperatures at or below 80 degrees in order to prevent fish mortality caused from elevated water temperatures.
The Madison Thermal Decision Support System (DSS) was developed to protect fisheries and other river resources.
Madison-Hebgen Stakeholder Engagement Process
Stakeholder Engagement Presentations and Documents
Madison Drought Impact Study
How drought conditions impact our operations:
- Forecasts and modeling are closely followed by NorthWestern Energy to manage releases to the Madison River downstream and to capture and fill Hebgen Reservoir in the spring.
- Limited snowpack and spring precipitation create challenging conditions to fully fill Hebgen reservoir while providing required flows to the Madison River.
- Water releases from Hebgen reservoir feed Ennis Reservoir to support pulsed flow releases out of Madison Dam.
- The pulse flows are calculated using a model that helps determine the volume of water to be released, allowing for the conservation of water while maintaining safe water temperatures in the lower Madison River.
- Low flows directly affect the amount of electricity generated at Madison Dam.
- NorthWestern Energy’s stewardship responsibilities of the river resources include balancing the many interests of multiple stakeholders.
- The cooperation and flexibility of all help to protect and maintain the long-term health of the river system, which is our priority.