Milk River Project
The Lifeline of the Hi-Line
Ongoing Projects
Stay up-to-date as structures throughout the Milk River and St. Mary system move through the planning, design, and construction phases.
St. Mary Siphon Failure Updates
On June 17, 2024, the St. Mary Siphon failed, causing significant impacts to the Milk River Project. To stay informed click here.
MRJBOC invites the public to participate in the Draft Watershed-EIS Plan Scoping Meeting. Click here to learn more and get involved.
What is the Milk River Project?
The Milk River Project is beyond remarkable. With over a century of successful operation, this engineering feat diverts water from the St. Mary River on the Blackfeet Reservation, flowing through northern Montana and Glacier National Park, and across southern Alberta, Canada. This project is a testament to the intricate canals, siphons, and diversions designed for a seamless flow of water. The Milk River Project is essential to fulfill Montana’s water demands, catering to eight irrigation districts, Reclamation pump contracts, private contracts, the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, and other living communities along the Milk River. The project has created numerous recreational opportunities for the surrounding inhabitants, contributing to the ecosystem’s prosperity and wildlife habitats. With such a prominent and successful project, the Milk River Project has proven to be a symbol of limitless possibilities.
Benefits to Montana’s Economy
How the Milk River Project has been providing to Northern Montana for over 100 years.
18,000
Residents provided drinking water
1,000,000
People fed annually
140,000
Acres of irrigated lands
700+
Farms
729
River miles of wildlife habitat and recreation
Milk River Project Partners
I wanted to get out ahead of this since it’s a question that has been coming up frequently in recent project updates. With below-average snowpack in the Milk River Basin, we understand how important it is to get the St. Mary system back online as early as possible. While we’re hesitant to commit to a firm date, historically we typically come online around mid-April. In drier years, we have even been able to push water in March when conditions allow, and our team is working hard to make an early spring turn-on a possibility again this year.
The reason we avoid locking in dates is simple. Anyone who has spent time around Babb knows Montana weather can change quickly and throw a wrench into even the best-laid plans. Our crews and project team are doing everything they can to keep things moving and hit these targets, but we also need to remain flexible as site and weather conditions evolve. We appreciate your patience and will continue to provide updates as we move closer to startup.
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That’s a wrap, folks! 🧱✅
Sletten Construction has officially completed all concrete pours on the Hall’s Coulee Siphon outlet structure! With the outlet fully poured, the next step is allowing the concrete to cure before forms are pulled so NW Construction can jump back in to complete backfilling, realign the canal, and begin preparing the area for liner installation. Another major milestone on this critical piece of the project — great work by all crews on site! 💪🚧
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🚧 Hall’s Coulee Siphon Project Update 🚧
NW Construction has kicked things into high gear at the Hall’s Coulee Siphon! Backfilling at the inlet structure is well underway, setting the stage for Sletten Construction to move in next and begin forming the water inlet aprons on the structures. As you can see from the pictures, access inside the structure has become a little trickier for the time being, but they are working around it. Another big step forward in keeping this project on schedule — great teamwork on site! 💪 ... See MoreSee Less
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Disasters can strike at any time. If you suffered losses of eligible harvested commodities while stored in on-farm structures in 2023 and/or 2024 due to a qualifying natural disaster event, you may be eligible for the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program (OFSCLP). The deadline is Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. Make sure to contact your local office before the deadline. ... See MoreSee Less
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One group we haven’t talked about yet—but is absolutely essential to keeping this project moving—are our equipment service crews. While our onsite mechanics keep day-to-day operations running smoothly, sometimes a machine needs a little extra TLC. That’s where our amazing field techs come in.
We’ve had great support on-site from RDO, T&E, and Western States, helping keep equipment running strong and downtime to a minimum.
This incredible sunset photo was sent to us by Cooper with RDO, and we had to share it. Proof that even service calls come with some pretty great views (and alot of wind). 🌅👏
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Not to be overshadowed by its big brother, the inlet structure, the Hall’s Coulee outlet structure has made major progress this past week! 🚧👏 Vents are now installed, the pipes are in their final position and ready for encasement, and both backfilling and CLSM placement are well underway.
You may notice in some of the photos that the canal doesn’t quite line up yet—no need to worry. Last year a temporary reroute was built to allow construction to move forward while keeping water flowing around the site. Crews will be shifting the canal back into alignment with the structure very soon as this phase wraps up.
We’ve also kept the old canal in place as a backup in case we needed to temporarily operate the existing structure. As backfilling continues and progress on the inlet structure moves forward, our confidence is growing that we won’t need to rely on the old system—but we’re not calling it 100% just yet. Mother Nature always has a say in these projects, so we’re staying prepared and ready either way. 💪🌦️
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