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 clickĀ here.
Have questions about water rights or concerns about unauthorized use after the St. Mary Siphon failure?
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 Montanaās 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
Ā Acres of irrigated lands
700+
Farms
729
River miles of wildlife habitat and recreation
From Our Social Media
Milk River Project Partners
The St. Mary inlet structure is really taking shape!
NW Construction is currently building up the fill around the back portion of the structure, and once it's compacted to spec, Sletten Construction will begin forming the aprons and walls that guide water into the inlet.
I've added a couple 3D renderings to give you a cool sneak peek of what the inside design will look like! š Youāll see the built-in baffle systemāthese will be finished in metal to better control water flow and speed, and to make future maintenance and replacements in the field a whole lot easier than concrete. Sorry friendsāno more bouncing pipes this time!
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Yesterday, Sletten Construction Company poured an impressive 290 yards of concrete for the St. Mary Siphon outletāa major milestone in the project! This outlet structure is massive, with walls reaching 27 feet tall. Just look at the size of the forms needed to shape it. The project remains on schedule, with water expected to return to the Milk River by July 2025.
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šš§ Happy Earth Day from the Milk River Project! š§š
Today we celebrate the land, water, and people that make the Milk River Basin truly one of a kind. From the headwaters in Glacier National Park to the irrigated fields along the Hi-Line, this system has connected generations and culturesāfueling agriculture, supporting communities, and carrying on traditions across Montana and beyond.
Hereās to working togetherāfor clean water, healthy lands, and a future that flows strong. š±š¦
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šØ Water Rights & Operations Update šØ
Weāve been getting tons of questions lately about water rightsāvested rights, creek rights, Tribal rights, Project water, illegal use, pump contractsāyou name it, weāve heard it.
Normally, irrigation water starts flowing in early May. But with the St. Mary siphon still offline, Project water releases from Fresno Reservoir are now tentatively scheduled for May 20th.
š§ A tentative allotment of Ā½ acre-foot per acre (or water for half your acres) has been proposed once we start delivering. There will be another meeting on May 13th in Malta to reassess water availabilityāfingers crossed for better levels by then! š¤
To help manage questions and concerns, weāve set up a quick online form where you can:
ā Ask about your water rights
šØ Report suspected illegal use
š Let us know if you see something unusual
š www.milkriverproject.com/water-rights-questions/
You can submit anonymously or leave your contact info if youād like a response. There's no better watchdogs than all of you out in the basin. Mistakes happenābut so does water theftāand we need everyoneās help to stay on top of it.
Weāll research every concern. Just reach out. And rememberānot all water is Project water. We also have to respect Tribal water rights, creek rights, and more.
In the meantime, there is water being delivered:
š The Fort Belknap Tribe has started releasing water for their Tribal irrigation acres.
š Water below the Fort Belknap Tribal Diversion is being used by the Lower Harlem Irrigation District and Malta Irrigation District.
š This allotment does not include acres served out of Nelson Reservoir. Storage at Nelson is adequate, and Malta Irrigation District will begin flushing canals on April 27th and start delivering water shortly after to their lower acres.
š Glasgow Irrigation District has started flushing and will begin delivering to the district using the natural flow in the river.
š Reclamation pump contracts and Upper Districts must stay off until water is officially released from Fresno to fulfill those contracts. (Fresno to Ft. Belknap)
š There are also no restrictions on the municipal contracts through the Bureau of Reclamationāthose contracts will be fulfilled in full.
Thanks for sticking with us while we work to get St. Mary back onlineāand hey, keep praying for rain. āļø Every drop helps!
Reminder: St. Mary Project water is expected to be back online by July 1stāor sooner if all goes well. Weāll keep you posted as progress continues!
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On this not-so-good Friday, another key piece of our team is off to new adventuresācongratulations to Lauri Ward on her well-deserved retirement! š
Lauri may have worked more behind the scenes, but her impact on the Milk River Projectāespecially the St. Mary Diversion and St. Mary Siphonāhas been enormous. She navigated the maze of environmental and endangered species permitting, worked with all the "alphabet soup" agencies to keep us in compliance and moving forward. Without her, we simply wouldnāt be where we are today.
Lauri, your deep knowledge, steady leadership, and behind-the-scenes magic will be greatly missed. We know you have big plans for travel, adventure, and plenty of good fishing aheadāand we couldnāt be happier for you. š«š£
Wishing you blue skies, full coolers, and unforgettable adventures in this next chapter. Congratulations, Lauri! Thank you for everything youāve done for the Milk River Projectāyour hard work and dedication will always be a part of its success. ... See MoreSee Less
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Well, I know itās Good Fridayābut it sure doesnāt feel all that good around here.
Today we say goodbye (sort of) to a legend: our longtime Dam Tender at Fresno, Marvin āMugsā Morris, is officially retiring. Mugs has been with the Milk River Project since 2007, and to say heās left a mark would be the understatement of the year.
Whether it was late-night gate changes during a storm, early morning adjustments to keep things on track, or catching issues before anyone else even had coffeeāMugs was there. Always dependable, always sharp, and somehow always in a good mood (even when we dragged him into a ridiculous photo op wearing a hat like this).
Heās trained a fantastic āMugs 2.0ā to carry the torch, but letās be honestāitās hard to replicate decades of training, instinct, grit, and the kind of know-how that only comes from living and breathing this Project day in and day out.
Mugs, thank you for your service, your humor, and your unwavering commitment to keeping the system running smoothly. The dam wonāt be the same without youāand neither will our crew.
Youāve earned every second of this retirementā¦ but donāt be surprised if we still call you once in a while. Just maybe not at 5 a.m. š
Cheers to you, Mugs. You will be deeply missed! ... See MoreSee Less
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