By Josh Margolis
CUT BANK, Mont. (NMB) – Work to repair two drop structures on the St. Mary Canal and Conveyance Works System is continuing as the Bureau of Reclamation nears officially providing an emergency declaration that would alter the cost sharing agreement for the project.
Once the Emergency and Extraordinary Operations of Maintenance (EXM) request is officially approved, 35 percent of the approximately $8 million project will be federally funded. This adjustment will put the cost sharing agreement for the project at 51.93 percent for the Bureau of Reclamation, and the remaining 48.07 percent will be paid by project beneficiaries.
Milk River Joint Board of Control Project Manager Jennifer Patrick says this is a major victory for the project.
“This first key right here, the EXM, was a monumental accomplishment, with a month from a half from our request. It took months for other places to get it. So our, congressional, local, state senators have been wonderful pushing for this, asking the questions. The Montana area office, Reclamation all the way through D.C. Policy, they have been wonderful. It’s been a huge collaborative effort. We’re pretty surprised that it came through so quickly. And for Drop 2 and Drop 5. It’s been great. The state of Montana has come to the table with some bonding authority and helping us work out packages for people to fund this. So the project and the funding packages are finally coming together and it’s great. Before construction is well underway, so not after.”
The project is on Blackfeet Nation land, which currently has a 14-day quarantine in place due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. However, since this project is considered essential, construction will continue to be permitted.
“Yes it is essential. We are in the middle of Blackfeet country had they have worked with us on this. They could potentially cause issues for us, but at this point they have been wonderful, supportive. We just ask people, we’ve had a lot of people that have decided to drive up and go see it. We just hope people will stop and not do that. Because we are trying to be respectful, we are trying to stay within their requirements. At this point, we’re in a very remote area up there. We don’t think there will be any impacts, but we’re not looking for any issues either.”
Although some work on Drop 5 has been slowed due to excessive rainfall, construction on Drop 2 has continued and they are still on track to finish the project by early fall at the latest. Patrick adds that although this rainfall has slowed construction a bit, it has helped minimize irrigation losses.
“These rains have really helped with the irrigation losses right now, so it has been a benefit. But it doesn’t help with construction either. So we’re just taking it as it goes.”
Drop 5 collapsed in mid-May, cutting off the flow of water from the St. Mary to the Milk River. Drop 2 did not collapse, but had been deemed particularly vulnerable.
Other work that Patrick says could take place this summer on the Works System includes some pump-outs and inspection work, some construction work on Drop 1, and maintenance and concrete on siphons.
The St. Mary Canal and Conveyance Works System provides supplemental irrigation water along the Milk River, as well as water to the Fort Belknap Indian Community, the Blackfeet Nation and many towns along the Hi-Line.
