Gov. Kelly Armstrong, center-right, speaks next to Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, left, Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden, center-left, and Reice Haase, right, director of the Department of Water Resources, during a meeting of the North Dakota Water Commission on Aug. 18, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong declared a drought emergency Tuesday for counties and tribal nations experiencing extreme and long-term drought conditions.
Nearly all of North Dakota, except part of Dickey County, is listed as abnormally dry or suffering moderate, severe or extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“I’m worried,” Armstrong said in an interview Tuesday. His executive order highlighted that the lack of precipitation and higher than average seasonal temperatures are expected to continue through fall.
Armstrong, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and members of the North Dakota Water Commission voted unanimously to activate the state’s Drought Disaster Livestock Water Supply Project Assistance Program and make up to $2 million available for those producers to begin new water projects.
“Basically, from Bismarck to the South Dakota and Montana border is as bad as we’ve seen in a very long time,” Armstrong said.
Livestock producers can qualify for up to $10,000 in cost-share assistance per project through the program for new water wells, rural water system connections, pipeline extensions, pasture taps, and contracted labor, materials and equipment rentals to complete those projects. Producers are eligible for three projects at one time, according to the program website.
This will be the first time the program has been activated since 2021, Armstrong said.
“The best part about this program is it helps now, but the reason we’ll spend less money on this program than we did in 2021 is because we drilled those wells in 2021,” he said. “It’s immediate relief now, but it also helps future generations.”
The program is funded through oil and gas extraction tax revenue, said Reice Haase, director of the Department of Water Resources.
Larry Novak, a farmer and rancher in McKenzie County, said some ag producers in his area are having trouble selling their spring wheat and durum to local elevators because drought conditions have had such a negative impact on crop quality.
“So it’s basically feed grain for cattle,” Novak said.
He said any state program to help producers access to water is beneficial. But Novak said it can be situation specific and is unlikely to help in his case.
“Just because you give me money to drill a well for water doesn’t mean that there’s going to be water underneath where I drill it,” Novak said. “There’s just no quality water veins in there.”
The North Dakota Department of Agriculture activated the state’s hay hotline last week to connect hay producers with livestock operations that may need hay to feed animals.
“The drought has dried up livestock dams that producers usually depend on for grazing, and water quality has been a serious concern,” Goehring said in a statement.
Last month was was the sixth warmest July and the 12th driest July in the state’s history, according to the North Dakota State Climate Office, an office that has logged weather data in the state since 1895. The average temperature last month was 86.9 degrees and total average precipitation was 1.25 inches.
For more information on the Drought Disaster Livestock Water Supply Project Assistance Program call 701-328-4959, or email dwrlivestock@nd.gov.
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