The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

After a year that saw plenty of heartache with the failure of Drop 2 in the St. Mary Watershed Project, we are still not yet out of the woods. For more than 20 years, repairs, improvements and emergency needs have been the theme.

Jennifer Patrick, Project Manager, Milk River Irrigation Project, Joint Board of Control, has been constantly pursuing improvements but the process has been a difficult one, and stated as much in a recent press release, "As many of you know the St. Mary project is being talked about in the Covid 19 funding (ARPA – HB 632 funding) and has been a wavering topic because the 'return on investment isn't great enough' compared to other items being included in the bill. Running in parallel, Senator Tester and Daines have introduced a bill to flip the cost share on the St. Mary Diversion Dam (third time introduced) as well as conversations of an infrastructure package are taking place, these conversations have been on-going for 20 years without results. Unfortunately the St. Mary Project may be circling the drain in conversations along with its current status."

Patrick referred to a recent picture of repairs to the St. Mary Dam leak and called it a "band-aid to limp us through this water year. Without some assistance the economic viability of the Milk River Project is at stake."

The COVID-19 Pandemic has put significant strain on local economies and businesses and communities have done their best to manage the times, but Patrick adds, "Losing an irrigation season and all of the economic impacts from spending in those communities. These recent pictures and failure are just one example of the aging infrastructure we are currently dealing with on the St. Mary Diversion Dam. This is only one of the pieces of the St. Mary project, there is failing infrastructure up and down this 29-mile system. You may ask why we have not fixed this structure, the estimated replacement cost of the diversion dam is around $60 million, of which the irrigators and municipalities will have to provide 73.96% of the entire cost share. A cost that is not realistic. If this Diversion Dam failed it would have a devastating effect to the entire hi-line, international and Tribal treaties, national food supply and the surrounding ecosystem."

It may not sound like much with 'only' 693 farms that irrigate and 18,000 people that receive municipal water from the project and that pay the majority of the expenses, but the benefits extend well beyond north central Montana, "In an economic study done in 2006, a $2 billion dollar loss to the economy would happen if the Milk River system failed. This project provides food for approximately one million individuals in Montana a day. If the Milk River project dries up, it does not only effect the farmers and ranchers, municipalities, well aquifers, it creates a domino effect with the local economy unless we do something," added Patrick.

Efforts are ongoing to repair the project, but it is imperative that everyone do what they can because this infrastructure is so critical to the entire State of Montana. As legislation is completed and funds are allocated at the State and Federal levels we will continue to keep our readers updated.