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
Well friends—today is the day!!
Today, the St. Mary Canal is officially back online following the replacement of two major siphon projects, thanks to an incredible team of contractors, engineers, a dedicated tribal workforce, tribal permitting and regulatory offices, and some of the best subcontractors around. While there is still work ahead—site reclamation, finishing touches, and working through the final punch list—the water is flowing again.
I want to take a moment to give a huge shoutout to everyone involved. They have worked tirelessly to get us to this point, putting in long days and pushing through challenges to restore operations—not only at the failed St. Mary Siphon, but also at the Hall’s Coulee Siphon.
To put it into perspective, these two projects were accomplished in just 658 calendar days—or ~504 on-the-job workdays—since the failure on June 17, 2024.
That is no small feat. Truly impressive work all around. A pretty exciting message to see in our water operations inbox this morning, don’t you think?
#milkriverproject #stmarysiphon #hallscouleesiphon ... See MoreSee Less
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Sometimes we learn that what looks perfect on paper does not always translate the same way in the field. When the St. Mary Siphon was first turned on, the liner topping material contained too many fines, which led to some sloughing during initial startup and higher runoff conditions. When the system was shut down, a pile of rock had accumulated before the bridge at the bottom of the pipe. While it was easily removed with a hydrovac, that is not a practical long-term solution, and we certainly do not want material moving through the pipe and causing wear over time.
Because of that, design adjustments were made moving forward. A rock lip was incorporated into the Hall’s Coulee siphon design in concrete, and a metal rock lip was added to St. Mary. Flow velocities in these sections are relatively low, allowing material to gradually move and settle. These additions are intended to intercept that movement and keep rock from entering the pipe as materials continue to shift and stabilize over time. They will also allow us to access and remove any accumulated material after the water season in a more manageable and controlled way.
#milkriverproject #stmarysiphon #hallscouleesiphon ... See MoreSee Less
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As a courtesy to one of our districts, we are happy to share this opportunity 👇
Harlem Irrigation District is hiring a Ditch Rider!
This is a great fit for someone who is retired and looking for extra income, a farmer or rancher wanting to supplement their earnings, or a motivated individual ready to take ownership of a hands-on, outdoor role.
Their last Ditch Rider set a high standard and will be greatly missed, leaving a strong foundation for the next person to step into.
📞 For more information, please contact Loxi at the Harlem Irrigation District directly. ... See MoreSee Less
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Big milestone out at Hall’s Coulee this week!
The Sletten Construction crew made their FINAL concrete pour on the siphon inlet yesterday, casting the energy dissipators down in the bottom. While there is still plenty of work ahead with punch list items, setting the steel beams, grates, handrails, and finishing details, this marks the end of major concrete work at the site.
For now, that’s a wrap on the big pours and the steady line of SW Concrete trucks hauling mud out here for the season. A big thank you to SW Concrete, AJ Concrete Pumping Services, and Terracon for sticking with us and helping make these demanding pour schedules happen.
Hats off to this great group out there making it happen every day!
#milkriverproject #hallscouleesiphon ... See MoreSee Less
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Phenomenal work by the crews at NW Construction, Inc. on the St. Mary's Canal Siphon Replacement project earned them two awards: "Best Environmental Project" and "Best Concrete - Agricultural."
#LetsBuildMT #mca2025awards
buff.ly/1jMRrZO ... See MoreSee Less
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Don’t forget, the public comment period for the Draft Watershed Plan–Environmental Impact Statement for the Milk River and St. Mary River Watersheds is still open through March 30, 2026.
This is your opportunity to review the proposed plan and share your input. Public feedback is an important part of this process, and we encourage anyone interested to take a look and submit comments.
You can view the Draft Plan–EIS here: www.milkriverproject.com/projects/watershed
Be sure to get your comments in before the deadline!
Just as an FYI, a Watershed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a planning and decision-making tool required under NEPA. It evaluates different alternatives for improving a watershed and analyzes potential environmental, social, and economic impacts. It helps agencies and stakeholders make informed decisions, supports future funding opportunities, and incorporates public and agency input.
It does not authorize construction or replace permitting and consultation. Instead, it lays the groundwork so that if individual projects move forward, they can go through the proper design, permitting, and compliance processes.
So just to summarize, a Watershed EIS:
❌ Does NOT authorize construction
❌ Does NOT finalize designs
❌ Does NOT replace permitting or consultation ... See MoreSee Less
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