Drought leads power company to store more water behind dam

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — NorthWestern Energy is reducing the amount of water it releases from Hebgen Dam into the Madison River for nearly three weeks now in order to store additional water in the reservoir for use this summer. The utility must balance the use of water to allow for recreation at Hebgen Reservoir and cool water for fish in the Madison River, along with irrigation and electricity generation at hydroelectric dams farther downstream — all while a drought continues. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, along with state and federal wildlife and other regulatory agencies worked together on the management plan.