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
As water makes its way through the canal and continues its river journey, our rough estimates have it reaching the U.S. border tomorrow morning around 8:03 a.m.
I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look at one major preparation item that goes into turning the canal on. Many of you know that Bull Trout are listed as a threatened species in the United States, and we are fortunate to have a strong population in this area. Because of that listing, there are important precautions and monitoring efforts in place.
One of those efforts, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife and Bureau of Reclamation is the installation of a PIT tag reader just downstream of the Diversion Dam bypass canal. This system helps capture data on fish moving through the area. Bull Trout are fitted with small tags, and when a tagged fish swims within range of the antenna, the reader detects it and records that movement.
The information collected helps track migration patterns and better understand the fish. And honestly, some of the distances these fish travel throughout the summer are pretty impressive.
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Well… as I’m writing this, water should be getting pretty close to the end of the drop system and into the Milk River!
It reached Drop 1 around 8:15 this morning, and we were able to catch a few shots of it arriving at the Hall’s Coulee Inlet Structure and moving through.
It’s moving slow and steady right now with the first initial releases—you can barely see a ripple at the outlet—but we will keep you posted as the flows start to increase. For now, here are a few shots of the initial water making the maiden voyage through new Hall's Coulee structure.
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Someone said this felt a little… almost boring compared to turning water back on at the St. Mary Siphon.
I couldn’t disagree more!
What we’re watching right now—moving water through two brand new siphons, tied together and operational in less than two years, under some pretty wild conditions—is anything but boring. It’s actually pretty remarkable.
It may not have the same “moment” as that first turn-on, but seeing the system work, watching water move mile by mile, and knowing what it took to get here—that’s the real story.
For those of you who enjoy the travel time side of things, here’s how it played out:
We turned water on at the St. Mary Diversion Dam in Babb at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, April 7.
Water reached the St. Mary Siphon inlet at 12:34 AM. It started coming out of the outlet at 2:06 AM.
From there it continued on to Hall’s Coulee—
Water hit the inlet at 6:27 PM today, filled the pipes in about 90 minutes.
Next stop: the drop structures, and then into the Milk River sometime tomorrowish.
Not flashy—but far from boring!
(I will share lots of pictures of the journey tomorrow, but for now good night all.) ... See MoreSee Less
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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?
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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.
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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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