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
Just wanted to give everyone an update on Lake Sherburne and provide a little background on how the recent large moisture event has affected reservoir operations.
On Monday, June 29, releases from Lake Sherburne reached just over 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), the highest releases experienced in recent years. While flows of this magnitude have occurred before—including in 1995 and several times during the 1970s—they remain significant because of the tremendous volume of water moving through the system. Since yesterday's peak, conditions have improved, and releases have been reduced to approximately 1,000 cfs. Bureau of Reclamation crews continue to successfully match inflows with outflows, and the reservoir remains stable.
Lake Sherburne is higher than normal this year because, following the St. Mary Siphon failure in 2024, a significant amount of water that would normally have been delivered through the St. Mary Canal for irrigation remained in storage. That water was intentionally carried over into this year to support canal diversions if drought conditions continued. However, the recent storm that dropped more than five inches of precipitation in the watershed was well beyond what had been anticipated.
The Bureau of Reclamation crews have done an outstanding job monitoring conditions around the clock, staying ahead of rapidly changing inflows, and making the necessary operational adjustments to safely manage the reservoir. Their quick response has been critical in safely passing this high runoff event while keeping inflows and outflows balanced and the system operating as designed.
This video was taken during the peak releases from Lake Sherburne. The strong winds were blowing water into the spillway, so a minimal amount can be seen reaching it. ... See MoreSee Less
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High flows continue to be released from Lake Sherburne near Babb, Montana. With nearly 5 inches of precipitation falling across the watershed, inflows into the reservoir have increased significantly. Releases have been opened to their maximum capacity, and at this time reservoir operators are successfully keeping the lake below the spillway.
Crews have been on site around the clock, monitoring conditions and ensuring everything continues to operate safely and smoothly. While it is an impressive amount of water moving through the system, operators are currently able to match reservoir outflows with incoming inflows, helping maintain stable conditions.
A special thank you goes to Tom and Clayton for their dedication and countless hours monitoring conditions around the clock. Their vigilance, expertise, and commitment during this high-water event have been instrumental in keeping the system operating safely. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and the long hours they continue to put in to protect the Milk River Project and the surrounding communities. ... See MoreSee Less
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Tom shared some beautiful photos with us this morning looking into Glacier National Park of a full and remarkably calm Lake Sherburne, just outside of Babb. With glass-like water, blue skies, and hardly a breath of wind, it’s a perfect day in the St. Mary/Babb area. Enjoy the beautiful weather, everyone! ☀️🌊🏔️ ... See MoreSee Less
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How about a little Diversion Dam update?
If there has been one theme over the past couple of weeks over on this site, it's been rebar, rebar, and more rebar. Despite the frequent rain showers moving through the area, crews have been hard at work tying steel and building forms for key features of the St. Mary Diversion Dam, shop and fish return structure.
Lead contractor NW Construction, with the help of subcontractors Grizzly Steel, SW Concrete, AJ Pumping, and Easton Companies, has been making steady progress as these structures begin to take shape.
It may not be the flashiest work, but every piece of rebar placed today helps build a stronger, more resilient facility for the future. We're excited to continue sharing progress as work moves forward. ... See MoreSee Less
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📸 Before the rain and weather rolled in, our friend Colynn was able to sneak up to the St. Mary Diversion Dam near Babb and capture some great photos of the progress being made. The project continues to move forward, and every week brings noticeable changes as crews keep pushing toward completion.
🌧️ Many of you who watch the gauges may have noticed that we recently reduced flows in the St. Mary Canal. With the significant rainfall we've been receiving, this is a proactive step to help reduce stress on canal banks and infrastructure during these storm events.
💧 At the same time, runoff into Sherburne Reservoir continues to climb. Between snowmelt and recent precipitation, inflows are increasing faster than we can store them, requiring higher releases to maintain safe reservoir operations and protect project facilities.
As always, Reclamation operators are closely monitoring conditions and making adjustments to balance water deliveries, reservoir storage, and system safety.
Enjoy the photos and precipitation, and thank you to everyone following along as we continue rebuilding and modernizing this critical piece of the Milk River Project!
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