Progress on Milk River Project

The Milk River Project is moving forward and running smoothly according to project manager, Jennifer Patrick. Plans are for the project to be finished late summer of 2025.

Steven Darlington with the Bureau of Reclamation reported that NW Construction is conducting the rehabilitation of the failed siphon site through a modification to the existing Diversion Dam contract, allowing for a quick start. Nearly all of the old siphons have been removed on the west side thanks to NW Construction and the old concrete and steel has been torn out. "M&D construction is hauling the steel to Great Falls for recycling," said Patrick.

Sletten Construction has been contracted by the Milk River Joint Board of Control to install a new bridge to support the siphons and provide a maintenance lane for future work across the river. Sletten Construction is currently mobilizing equipment and preparing a pad for their large crane. Sletten has already been driving pilings for the construction of a new bridge. A temporary bridge is halfway across the river.

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe was considered for replacement and repairs. Ultimately the decision was influenced by factors such as turnaround time, field fitting, location, and future field maintenance considerations. A possibility of using HDPE as a sleeve was rejected by the engineering team since the 100 year old pipe no longer had enough structural integrity for reuse.

The estimated cost for replacing the St. Mary and Halls Coulee siphons is $70 million. Patrick said they have $16.7 million in the bank while expecting more money soon. Currently, secured funding of $9.2 million from the Joint Board and $7.5 million from BOR, means the project will run out of money by November 1, 2024.

Additional identified funding sources include $26 million from the State of Montana through HB 6, which is under negotiation as an interest-only loan, $37.2 million from the BOR Aging Infrastructure Account, and $750,000 from the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, coordinated by Natural Resource and Conservation Services and the State DNRC. Securing these additional funding sources is crucial to avoid construction delays.

The Fort Belknap Compact that cleared the Senate to provide additional funding is currently stalled in the House.

"We will continue to host bi-weekly stakeholder calls every other Thursday until winter shutdown to provide critical updates on the project," Patrick said. "From a construction standpoint, it's important to note that we are all pushing this project forward and will seize every opportunity to expedite these fixes and restore water flow to the Milk River."

Twenty-nine miles of canals will transport water from St. Mary's to the Milk River. The River travels into Canada before returning to Montana, flowing to Fresno Reservoir near Havre. Reports say the river above the reservoir is almost dry at this time. According to Patrick, those above the dam have a 6 month water supply and are hoping for good snow in the winter and rain in the spring to increase flow. From Fresno, the river travels along the Hi-Line, providing drinking water and irrigation in those areas until it reaches Nashua where the Milk River turns south and empties into the Missouri River just below Fort Peck Dam.

Follow progress on the Milk River Project Facebook page and http://www.milkriverproject.com website.