Water & Irrigation
The Stock Pond That Turns Pea-Soup Green in July Can Kill a Cow Inside an Hour
Blue-green algae blooms bloom fast on warm, still stock ponds, and the toxins they throw can drop cattle before you ever see…
Water & Irrigation
The Stock Pond That Shrinks in June Concentrates the Salts, and the Cow That Backs Off the Water Tells You Before the Test Does
As summer heat pulls down pond levels, dissolved salts and sulfates climb in what's left. High-sulfate stock water can stagger cattle, blind…
Water & Irrigation
Blue-Green Algae Blooms in a Warm, Low Stock Pond Can Kill a Cow Before She Leaves the Water’s Edge
When ponds warm up and drop in the June and July heat, cyanobacteria can bloom into a toxic scum that kills cattle…
Water & Irrigation
When the Ponds Drop and the Water Turns Salty, High Sulfates Quit a Cow’s Appetite Long Before They Kill Her
In a dry summer the stock water gets more concentrated as it evaporates, and rising sulfates and total dissolved solids pull down…
Water & Irrigation
Blue-Green Algae Blooms the Stock Pond in a Hot, Still June, and a Cow Can Drink It and Be Dead by Dark
Cyanobacteria in warm, calm stock ponds can kill cattle within hours of drinking. Here's how to spot the risk, when the danger…
Water & Irrigation
Salty Water and High Sulfates in a Dry Summer Can Poison Cattle Before You Ever See Them Drink It
When ponds shrink and shallow wells go bad in a dry summer, dissolved salts and sulfates concentrate fast — enough to knock…
Montana Ranching
Blue-Green Algae Blooms Turn a Good Stock Pond Deadly Overnight in July Heat
When the wind lays down and the water warms up, cyanobacteria can scum over a reliable dugout and kill cattle within hours.…
Montana Ranching
High-Sulfate Stock Water Sneaks Up in a Dry Summer, and It Can Put Cattle Down Blind and Staggering
As ponds and reservoirs shrink through July, dissolved sulfates and salts concentrate in the water your cows have to drink. It's an…
Water & Irrigation
High-Sulfate Stock Water Can Blind and Down Cattle by Late Summer
As dugouts and shallow wells drop and concentrate through the summer, sulfate levels climb — and sulfur-induced polio can put good cattle…
Water & Irrigation
Test the Stock Water, Not Just the Grass, When It Turns Dry
In a dry June, the water in your reservoirs and shallow wells concentrates fast. High sulfates and salts can pull cattle off…
Water & Irrigation
Summer Stock Water: Keep the Tanks Full and the Algae Out Before It Bites You
As Montana heats up, water becomes the limiting factor on most summer pasture. Here's how to keep cattle drinking clean, stay ahead…
Farming
New Research Suggests Crop Changes Can Cut Nitrogen Loss—What It Could Mean for Montana Fields and Water
Reports out of national water-quality research circles suggest something important for working producers: changes in what gets grown—and how plants use nitrogen—may…
Random
Montana Group Sues Lincoln County Over Mining Waste Records Amid Lake Koocanusa Concerns
Introduction Concerns about mining waste impacting Montana’s water quality have taken a legal turn as a Montana environmental organization has filed a…