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
When a storm decides to roll into Montana, it doesn’t mess around. What a difference a day makes. The crews are still pushing forward and getting done what they can, and if conditions keep getting worse, they’ll likely take a well-deserved day off.
These photos show the Hall’s Coulee Siphon site yesterday (2.16) compared to this morning (2.17). The St. Mary Siphon closer to Babb has quite a bit more snow than the Hall’s Coulee area, with the wind blowing much of it sideways.
If you’re getting hit with a little moisture too, we’d love to see your photos. Stay safe out there!
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Guess who finally decided to make an appearance and dropped a few inches of snow and is still dumping on us. A little windy too.
This picture of the St. Mary Siphon bridge looks like a snow globe that a three year old just keeps shaking. Beautiful, a little windy, pour visability, and completely covered in fresh powder. ❄️
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🚨 Public Comment Period Now Open! 🚨
The Draft Watershed Plan – Environmental Impact Statement for the Milk River & St. Mary River Watersheds is officially out — and your input matters on how we move forward with the rehabilitation of the St. Mary Canal system! 💧
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has prepared a Draft Watershed Plan-Environmental Impact Statement (Draft Plan-EIS) for the Milk River and St. Mary River Watersheds. The effort is sponsored by the Milk River Joint Board of Control, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and in participation with the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council.
📄 View the Draft Plan-EIS:
www.milkriverproject.com/projects/watershed
🗓️ Public Comment Period: Feb. 13 – March 30, 2026
📍 Join us at a public meeting to learn more & submit comments!
Have a voice in the future of the project as we push forward to rehabilitate the 29-mile St. Mary canal system — we hope to see you there!
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This one is a little bittersweet and definitely a moment that deserves to be captured in history and appreciated by us all. This structure stood tall for over 100 years, originally built between 1913–1915.
So today we’re going with a little Throwback Thursday shoutout to the St. Mary Diversion Dam bridge structure that was constructed at what was then referred to as Camp 2.
As you can see in the video, the structure was removed today — and incredibly, it came off in one solid piece.
Kudos to the engineering and craftsmanship of the men who built it more than a century ago. Their work truly stood the test of time.
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Things are about to start looking a little different at the St. Mary Diversion Dam as NW Construction begins removing the old bridge structure. A new bridge will not be installed in its place, as there hasn’t been vehicle access to the other side for many years. Work is picking back up at the Diversion site, and we’re excited to see progress underway once again.
#milkriverproject #stmarydiversion
📸: Thomas Gervais ... See MoreSee Less
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Last week brought some surprisingly pleasant weather onsite, with warmer than normal February temps. Crews made the most of it — pushing ahead with backfilling, CLSM under the pipes, and extensive forming as the Halls Coulee Siphon inlet apron continues to take shape. More concrete placements on deck this week!
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