Tongue River (Montana) - Agriculture and Irrigation

Agriculture and Irrigation

The Tongue River basin is prime livestock country. Limited farm lands that exist along flowing streams in the basin are usually irrigated from diversion dams, and produce crops which support the livestock industry—hay and feed stocks (corn, barley, alfalfa). Dry land wheat farming, which is prevalent elsewhere in eastern Montana, occurs only in limited and scattered acreages in the Tongue River basin. Cattle represent the great bulk of the total livestock production from the Tongue River basin with sheep a distant second.

Cattle ranches in the Tongue River Basin are predominantly "cow calf" instead of “yearling” operations. The yearly cycle of a “cow calf” operation begins with the birth of calves from February to May. At spring roundup the calves are branded. Bulls are put with the cows to start the nine month gestation cycle to produce next year’s calf crop on the month chosen by the rancher, after which the bulls are again separated from the herds. The herds are moved to summer pasture, and in June and July attention focuses on cutting and storing hay for the next winter. Feed crops are harvested in late summer or fall. The late fall roundup separates the calves which are sold to cattle buyers and shipped by truck. The herd is moved to the pasture where they will be fed for the winter, and in about the first week of December enough snow accumulates to start the process of feeding hay to carry the herd through the winter. Ranch chores, repairs and maintenance, work on building projects, doctoring cattle and the like go on all year round.

One of the oldest irrigation projects on the Tongue River is the T&Y Ditch, which dates from 1886. The diversion dam from the T&Y ditch was recently altered to include a fish ladder, which now allows fish from the Tongue and Yellowstone Rivers below the dam to migrate upriver, for the first time in 125 years.

An experimental vineyard, Tongue River Vineyard and Winery, is located on the Tongue, a mile upriver from Miles City, Montana. This is the only Montana vineyard east of Missoula, which is 600 miles away, and the only vineyard in the vast but scenic area known as eastern Montana. The vineyard keeper is primarily growing Univ. of Minnesota hardy hybrids, and seedless table grape and juice varietals, using some unusual techniques to resist the colder temperatures of the eastern Montana winter. Tongue River Vineyard and Winery is open and the first runs are in the bottle. There are reds, white wines and a pear wine for sale from the cellars of the vinyard. The Vineyard & Winery are owned and operated by Bob and Marilyn Thaden of Miles City and may be seen at www.tongueriverwinery.com or on Facebook at "Tongue River Winery". Visitors are welcome.