International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board Announces Public Town Hall Meeting

The International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board will be holding a public town hall meeting May 2. All are welcome to attend.

The purpose of this meeting is to update the public on the study’s progress, work plan and timeline of studies into 2024, as well as to solicit public feedback on future engagement. Some members of the study’s Technical Working Groups will be in attendance, with the Study Board presenting information on various technical topics these groups have been working on. The Study Board is very interested in hearing the perspectives of citizens around the basin and looks forward to conversing with a wide range of water users.

The public meeting will be held at the following location:

May 2: 6 to 8 p.m., Best Western Boothill Inn & Suites, 1425 Highway 2 NW, Havre, Montana

The St. Mary and Milk Rivers study began in 2021 and is exploring options to improve access to the apportioned waters of the rivers in both countries. This is in recognition of the challenges that have emerged in apportioning the waters of the two rivers, since the IJC issued its initial Order more than 100 years ago in 1921 and the potential effects of climate change going forward.

The St. Mary and Milk Rivers are connected through the St. Mary Canal, which moves water from the more sustainable flow of the St. Mary River to the naturally ephemeral Milk River. These waters are split, or apportioned, between Canada and the United States under the provisions in the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty and in the IJC’s 1921 Order. The water flow is measured at the border and the amount available to users in each country is calculated according to the guidelines used by the federally appointed Accredited Officers.