Further Funding for Milk River Project Introduced to Legislation

U.S. Senator Jon Tester introduced legislation on Oct. 12 to provide critical funding for the Milk River Project in northcentral Montana. After speaking with the St. Mary’s Working Group on Oct. 10, Tester introduced the St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act to Congress, which would ensure the federal government picks up 75 percent of the tab for the water project, an increase from the current 26 percent.

According to co-chair of the St. Mary Rehabilitation Working Group Marko Manoukian, the group held a meeting with federal candidates via telephone conference call on Oct. 10 in Havre. House of Representatives candidate Kathleen Williams, Senate candidate Matt Rosendale, Current House of Representatives Greg Gianforte and current Senator Jon Tester had all received written information regarding the project including the benefits the project provides to Hi-Line residents prior to the meeting.

During the forum, all candidates expressed support for the project. Tester discussed the worn-out infrastructure and the failure of the St. Mary/Milk River system is not acceptable. He recognized it is hard work to get money from Congress, but believes an infrastructure bill would be the most successful. By introducing the St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act to Congress after the meeting, Tester stated in a release, “This legislation ensures that local taxpayers won’t be stuck with the enormous cost of this project.”

The St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act would cover the cost of Sherburne Dam and Reservoir, Swift Current Creek Dike, lower St. Mary Lake, St. Mary Canal Diversion Dam and the St. Mary Canal. The entire project is estimated to cost $41.9 million and upon completion, will provide water to 18,000 Montanans as well as be able to irrigate enough cropland to feed one million people. The Senate and the House also recently secured $1.9 million for the Milk River Project in the 2019 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which was enacted after being signed by President Trump on Sept. 21.

Rosendale, who is vying for the open Senate seat currently held by Tester, recognized in the meeting that agriculture is Montana’s number one industry. As an owner of an irrigated farm, he has personally been impacted by the endangered species act on his farm. He pointed to the standard by which Bureau of Reclamation measures risk under the safety of dams issues. He believes this standard needs to be adjusted because its narrow focus increases the cost of the project.

Williams, who is currently vying for the House of Representatives seat currently occupied by Gianforte, focused on winnable solutions in times of drought. She vows to try and find a workable solution for the aging infrastructure. Gianforte noted that the St. Mary/Milk River is the most important project in the state, but it will require bipartisan effort because Congress cannot use earmarks, which is funding only for a specific project, to fund this particular project. He did offer a Congressional Hearing focused on aging Bureau of Reclamation projects, as he is the chair of a subcommittee on Interior.

All the candidates agree that cost overrun by the Bureau of Reclamation under the Safety of Dams Act, most recently the three million dollars overcharge at Nelson Reservoir, should be absorbed by the Federal Government and not passed on to the beneficiaries. However, without any congressional action, the beneficiaries will be charged for the overrun.

The Milk River Project was one of the first five projects authorized in 1903 by the Bureau of Reclamation designed to provide water for irrigation. Today, the St. Mary diversion supplies the Milk River with 60 to 100 percent of its water during the summer months. The water is primarily used for irrigation, however it also supplies municipalities of Havre, Chinook, Harlem, and Fort Belknap, the habitat for Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge while also providing recreational opportunities and stocked fisheries.

The Milk River Watershed Alliance states the St. Mary diversion was designed to carry 850 cubic feet per second (cfs) but only currently carries 670 cfs due to deteriorating conditions. There are five drops in the diversion system and the drops are experiencing deterioration. The siphons that were hand riveted during the construction contain leaks which contribute to the inefficiency of the system. Annual water shortages in the Milk River have been recorded and the rehabilitation of the structures would reduce the shortages that occur.

The rehabilitation of the system is important to the economy and environment of the Hi-Line. Stakeholders of the Milk River would be adversely affected if rehabilitation of the system does not continue to move forward, including irrigation districts and private irrigators, the municipalities that rely on the project which includes ranchers, farmers, businesses various recreation and wildlife groups. Endangered or threatened species like the Pallid Sturgeon, hydro-power produced by project facilities and the Fort Belknap and Blackfeet water compacts would all be affected since they rely on the diverted water.