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.
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 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
🚧 Progress Update: St. Mary Diversion Dam – Babb, MT 🚧
Work keeps moving forward on this massive project, and things are changing almost daily! And remember, although this is a three-year construction effort, it won’t interrupt water deliveries, thanks to the bypass channel keeping flows moving until the new structure is ready to come online.
📸 Check out the latest photos of the progress! ... See MoreSee Less
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🎣Fresno Reservoir Update 🎣
Good news for our fishing community! As NW Construction completes the final punch-list items and begins moving equipment out of the Fresno Safety of Dams site, Reclamation has decided to keep both the current haul road and the existing road in place. On top of that, all access roads in the area will be resurfaced with fresh gravel.
The Tailwater Fishing Access site is expected to reopen by the end of October—we’ll share the exact date once the gravel work and equipment removal are all completed.
We want you to know the project management team heard your wishes loud and clear, and we are so excited to make this happen for the community. Thank you for your support and patience with this project!
#milkriverproject #fresnoreservoir ... See MoreSee Less
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Still making the most of the beautiful fall weather just east of Babb, MT, crews are hard at work on the Hall’s Coulee Siphon Inlet. They’ve begun laying out the structure and are pushing to complete as many concrete pours as possible before colder weather sets in.
This inlet will be a massive build—similar to the St. Mary Siphon site—and is designed to handle the hydraulics needed to keep water flowing reliably through the Milk River Project. 💧
#milkriverproject #hallscouleesiphon ... See MoreSee Less
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🚧 Fresno Dam Road Reopened! 🚧
Good news! The road across Fresno Dam (just outside Havre, MT) is officially back open to traffic after a week of paving and detours. 🎉
✅ A big thank-you to NW Construction and Havre Sand and Gravel for their hard work on the paving!
🚗 The only restriction moving forward is the width of the bridge—so drive carefully with wide loads.
🎣 The lower fishing access remains closed for now but is expected to reopen in the near future. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have updates.
Thanks for your patience during the project, and safe travels!
#fresnosod #milkriverproject ... See MoreSee Less
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🚜 Hall’s Coulee Progress Update!
NW Construction has moved a lot of dirt—about 71,000 cubic yards—to bring the site down to grade and is now ready to start forming the Hall’s Coulee inlet structure. This is a massive build that will play a critical role in the future of the project.
If you look closely at the photos, you’ll see the 100-year-old Hall’s Coulee structure still standing. It remains in place for two reasons:
1️⃣ Historic Preservation requirements.
2️⃣ A backup plan—if winter isn’t kind to us, this structure gives us a way to keep water flowing until the new siphon is complete.
We know how vital this water is—from the Blackfeet Reservation all the way down to Nashua, MT—and we’re excited to share each step of progress with you as we move forward. 💧
#hallscouleesiphon #milkriverproject ... See MoreSee Less
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Photos from Montana Infrastructure Coalition's post ... See MoreSee Less
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