Montana Climate Matters: The water under our feet

By Stephanie Ewing If you’re not a farmer or rancher, you might not think about how much water soils can hold. But in Montana’s fertile valleys, three feet of silty soil can hold a foot of water. Two thirds of that water is available to plants, and that eight inches alone can support a decent wheat crop without irrigation. It turns out the average rainfall during April-June in the Gallatin Valley is about eight inches, and with a little sunshine and not too much heat, crops will grow. This past winter we experienced what’s called a “snow drought” – precipitation…