By Josh Margolis
HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – Despite recent repairs to the St. Mary’s Canal and Conveyance Works System, local irrigators are concerned that a lack of precipitation could impact the upcoming irrigation season.
Wade Jones is a Malta area irrigator and President of the Milk River Joint Board of Control. He says local irrigators income was down 20-30 percent last year due to the failure of drop 5, and could be impacted again this year if they don’t receive more precipitation.
“We don’t have the prairie snow at all like we normally do. Our system at this end, from Fresno east, is very low. Nelson Reservoir is a big player in the irrigation system. We have pretty fair to adequate water right now in Nelson, but if we get no moisture, it’s going to be a long summer.”
Jennifer Patrick, Project Manager for the Joint Board, says they are hoping to start the St. Mary’s System back up next month.
“We are in a good spot right away to run water across, but if we could move 50,000 (acre feet) of water across, that would be the ideal scenario, and then start with a full pool (Fresno) Reservoir. But we need some precipitation in the basin before that can happen, or we’ll be making a call on irrigation water relatively soon.”
According to the Bureau of Reclamation, as of Friday, Fresno Reservoir was 65,000 acre-feet below full pool, placing it at 30 percent capacity. Sherburne Reservoir was 6,700 acre-feet below full pool, equivalent to 89 percent of capacity. Nelson Reservoir was 30,000 acre-feet below full pool, placing it at 61 percent of capacity.
