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By Josh Margolis
HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – Milk River Joint Board of Control Project Manager Jennifer Patrick spoke with New Media Broadcasters on Friday afternoon to provide an update on the St. Mary’s System.
The system was turned back on earlier this month after emergency repairs were completed, and the first significant flows from the system reached Fresno Reservoir on Thursday, a few days later than initially projected.
“There’s a lot of small maybe dams or debris or beaver dams. There’s a lot of stuff that it had to break back through because the water hasn’t run all year long and it’s been completely dry. Some pools that need to be filled up. It just takes longer and it doesn’t help how cold it turned, either.”
Patrick says projections estimate that Fresno Reservoir should reach around 30,000 acre feet of storage before the system is shut off for the winter, with some additional storage possible due to snow. However, it remains possible that cold weather could force them to shut the system off before the end of the month.
“We’re releasing more water out of Sherburne, a higher flow out of the bottom, warmer water, everything like that, to try to get through three days and not ice jam or anything like that. Right now we’re confident…but if we stay down in those negative (temperatures), we’re going to have to make some decisions to shut it down, because we don’t want to sacrifice any older structures at this point to run for seven extra days.”
Patrick remains confident that they will be able to persevere through the current challenges.
“All things indicate that we will continue, will work through the ice jams, will work through the November fish salvages, everything like that. So we’re not anticipating anything before starting to shut down in the next week.”
Downstream of Fresno Reservoir, flows will remain at the current 37 cubic feet per second, which is the typical winter release levels.
Cost Sharing Agreement
Changing the cost sharing agreement for the System through Congressional action remains a top priority, but they are currently in a holding pattern.
“Still having discussions. We’re hoping it sneaks through on a lame duck. That’s the plan…Everyone is pretty busy with the election, and so we’re hoping that it might see some mark-up, but a lot of the conversations are COVID and elections right now.”
Diversion Dam
On Thursday night, the Milk River Joint Board of Control approved their budget, which included funding the Diversion Dam design.
“We are funding the Diversion Dam design. And so we are moving forward into figuring out a cost on that Diversion Dam. So we’re not stopping…We’re moving to the next step in the rehabilitation of the entire system.”
So with the just completed project barely in the rear-view mirror, the Milk River Joint Board is not wasting any time.
“We have the momentum and everyone is talking about it. Reclamation is also talking about how this is a legacy project for them and they are looking at how they do business differently now, and we’re hoping that it pushes forward into a lot of the other things that we’re doing as well.”
