BILLINGS, Mont. -- The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded fiscal year 2012 WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency grants to the Fort Shaw Irrigation District and Greenfields Irrigation District. Fort Shaw received a $300,000 grant and Greenfields received a $268,565 grant. Reclamation’s Montana Area Office will administer the grants and manage the projects.

"The Fort Shaw Irrigation District will upgrade its water delivery system by lining 2,000 feet of canal and installing a separate section of 2,310 feet of pipe," said Dan Stremcha, Acting Planning and Projects Division Manager for Reclamation's Montana Area Office.

"The project is expected to result in water savings of 5,000 acre-feet annually through reduced seepage and other conveyance losses," Stremcha said. Conserved water will be left in the Sun River to help maintain minimum stream flows to sustain the ecology of the river system. The total cost of the project is $669,640.

The Greenfields Irrigation District will install a new variable speed pump and a 3,500 foot pipeline to pump project wastewater back into a District canal, thereby reducing wastewater discharges to Muddy Creek. This project is part of the continuing efforts of the District, working with the Sun River Watershed Group and others, to address problematic return flows in Muddy Creek.

"The construction of this project is expected to improve water quality in Muddy Creek and allow for the reuse of approximately 3,000 acre-feet of water annually," said Stremcha. "Water conserved by this project will be left in the Sun River to enhance in-stream flows." The total cost of the project is $526,395.

For additional information, contact Paula Holwegner of the Bureau of Reclamation at 406-247-7300.