How to best pray for rain in 2026

As a man of faith myself, I believe we should plead to Heaven for the necessities of life. I am also pretty convinced that praying for water for our animals and crops is one of the few requests that crosses nearly all faiths, denominations and personal belief systems. You may argue about theology or doctrine, but when the ground is dry, most of us suddenly sound very similar.

That said, here in the Big Horn Basin, it might help to be a little more specific in our supplication. Something along the lines of, “Please give the Big Horn Basin plenty of water this year.” Clear. Direct. Hard to misunderstand. No fine print. No upgrades requested.

I also believe that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). That verse is often used in sermons about charity or service, but it applies just as well to water. Prayer matters. But understanding the science of where our water actually comes from matters, too. Doing both together may be the real sweet spot.

So I got to thinking. Since the canals that feed most of the farms around Byron, Cowley, Deaver and Frannie are irrigated from the Shoshone River through the Deaver, Frannie and Sidon canals, it might be wise to pray specifically for moisture to fall within the Shoshone River watershed in 2026. Not just anywhere. Not vaguely. Right there.

And for those living around Lovell, perhaps the better request is for generous snowfall and rain in the Wind River and Big Horn River Basins. In other words, “Please let plenty of water flow into the Big Horn River Basin.” Geography matters, even in prayer. Water that falls in the wrong place may be spiritually uplifting, but it does not do much for our sugar beets and grazing fields.

Which brings us to a status update for those of you who offered faithful prayers in 2025. According to the most recent data, your prayers appear to have landed in the right inbox. The Shoshone River Basin is currently sitting at about 123 percent of average snowpack, with precipitation at 157 percent of average for the water year to date. Some of the high mountain snow stations are doing even better, running between 128 percent and 160 percent of average. In plain terms, there is more water stored in the Yellowstone snowpack than usual, which is exactly what you want to see in midwinter.

Just as important, Buffalo Bill Reservoir is positioned well to do its job. It has room to catch spring runoff, which reduces flooding risk, and enough capacity to be full when our farms and lawns actually need the water. That combination, plenty of mountain snow and space in the reservoir, is about as good a starting position as you can ask for.

The broader Big Horn River Basin is also in decent shape, with snowpack in the Wind River Range at roughly 109 percent of average and precipitation near 145 percent of average. Boysen Reservoir, out by the town of Shoshoni (with an i), is sitting where it needs to be to hold floodwater now and release water later when fields are being planted next April. That timing matters more than most people realize. Too much water too fast can be almost as problematic as not enough.

Around here, the best prayer probably is not just, “send rain,” but something closer to this: “Please send snow to the right mountains, at the right time, and let it melt slowly.”

And if all that seems a bit too complicated, it is always fine to stick with: “Please give us rain,” and it’s always good to add, “Thanks for what we got in 2025. And keep up the good work in 2026!”