News Release Archive

Trump Administration and partners complete St. Mary Canal repairs

Media Contact: Robert Manning, 202-513-0554, rmanning@usbr.gov

For Release: October 15, 2020

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Trump Administration is pleased to announce the replacement of canal structures Drop 2 and Drop 5 on the St. Mary Canal are complete after Drop 5 collapsed on May 17, 2020. The canal structures are part of the Milk River Project in northern Montana, which provides irrigation water to over 120,000 acres in eight irrigation districts, Bureau of Reclamation pump contracts, private contracts and stock water. Importantly, the Project also provides municipal water to the communities along the hi-line. The canal supplies more than 60-percent of the water supply in the project in an average year and more than 80-percent in a dry year.

“After a summer of perseverance, the Trump Administration and its partners were able to expeditiously complete critical repairs to the St. Mary Canal for the benefit of Montanans,” said Reclamation’s Commissioner Brenda Burman. “Investing in our water infrastructure to reliably deliver water to communities throughout the country is a top priority of the Trump Administration, and this is another example of how we are working with state and community leaders to be a good neighbor and get this done.”

“Montanans on the Hi-Line are thrilled to finally see water flowing in the St. Mary’s canal again. This is great news for Montana families, Tribes, and Montana agriculture jobs that depend on this water system,” said Senator Steve Daines. “This would not have been possible without the collaboration and determination of all involved. Thank you to our agency officials, tribal leaders, the St. Mary’s Working Group, the International Joint Commission, The Joint Board of Control, and stakeholders for your collaboration and hard work to make this possible. Special thanks to Secretary Bernhardt and Commissioner Burman for responding to my request for expedited work.”

“The St. Mary’s project is the backbone of the Hi-Line, and we need to keep it that way,” said Congressman Greg Gianforte. “I am so pleased we were able to bring together federal, state, tribal and local groups to get water flowing again. It’s a great step, but there is more ahead. I will keep working to ensure that further repairs can be completed by fixing the cost share.”

“From the time I was in the Senate to today as co-Chair of the St. Mary Rehabilitation Working Group I have supported efforts to replace the St. Mary Diversion system,” said Lt. Governor Mike Cooney. “It took catastrophic failure and the loss of the irrigation season to trigger this investment, but I’m pleased we are making the effort to repair this critical water supply and complete the project in time to shore up water supplies for the winter and be prepared for irrigation season next year.”

“Blackfeet tribal members made up the major workforce for this repair project just as we did when it was built over a hundred years ago,” said Blackfeet Tribe Chairman Davis. “The Tribe has always had a complicated relationship with the project because we receive no benefit from it. However, we appreciate that the Tribe was welcomed as a partner in this repair process and we look forward to a continuing good relationship with all parties in the future.”

The Milk River Joint Board of Control managed the construction effort to replace Drops 2 and 5 while working with the State of Montana and the Bureau of Reclamation to secure project funding through local assessments, state grants and federal PL 111-11 authority. The project required support and collaboration of the Blackfeet Tribe, multiple federal agencies (in both the U.S. and Canada), state legislators and Project users.

HDR Engineering, Inc. and Sletten Construction Companies provided the engineering management and construction project work that made the repairs a reality in order to restore water operations to the area.

“I never dreamed we would be running water again this season, especially with taking on a full replacement of Drops 2 and 5 and some major repairs at Drop 1,” said President of the Milk River Joint Board of Control Wade Jones. “Bringing water back to the Milk River Basin before winter is so important to so many stakeholders on the hi-line not just the irrigators. We had a great team involved that made this so successful.”

Today’s ribbon cutting was closed to the general public out of respect for and at the request of the Blackfeet Tribe.

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