The Milk River Project
The Milk River Project is an irrigation project authorized in 1903 intended to supply the Lower Milk River valley with water for irrigation. The St. Mary’s diversion dams, canals, drops, and siphon were completed in in 1917 and still remain in-use today. Additional construction and another steel siphon was later added due to the high demand for water. The St. Mary’s conveyance system was designed as a single-purpose system for irrigation. However, multiple towns, businesses, recreation, and wildlife benefit from the Milk River. One of the goals of the MRWA is to educate the Milk River Basin residents on the importance and critical need for the rehabilitation of the 100 year old diversion infrastructure. The St. Mary Diversion can provide up to 90% of the Milk River flow during irrigation season. Approximately 140,200 acres of land are irrigated between irrigation districts, individual pump contracts, and private state water rights holders. The US Bureau of Reclamation has contracts to provide irrigation for 110,000 acres. These systems have aged and are in desperate need of repair, rehabilitation and replacement.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
The collapse of concrete drop structure # 5 along the Milk River Project on St. Mary’s canal failed on May 17, 2020.
After decades of concerns and warnings, concrete drop structure # 5 along the Milk River Project on St. Mary’s canal failed on May 17, 2020. Drop 5 is the last concrete drop along the 29 mile St. Mary Canal that uses gravity and siphons to deliver water to the Milk River, critical for providing water to hundreds of thousands of irrigated acres, municipalities, recreationists, wildlife, etc.
Unfortunately, it took complete failure and collapse of the system to see repairs made. The St. Mary drop structures will be fully repaired in late 2020, but there is still much work to be done. We shouldn’t have to wait until another critical structure fails and we shouldn’t have to rely on emergency action.
We need our communities to come together.
It’s time we start caring for the river that has cared for us for generations.
The Milk River Watershed Alliance and its partners will be fighting for sustainable systems that will allow the communities and wildlife that rely on the the Milk River to thrive.
We will be successful, because we will:
Educate the public. Demonstrate how the Milk River is critical to communities.
Build partnerships. The Milk River needs a team dedicated to tackling every aspect of its needs.
Take action. We will work to secure not only funding, but the policies necessary for the security of the Milk River Watershed.