Wednesday morning water was headed for the St. Mary Siphon, just over a year since it collapsed, shutting down a water lifeline for the Montana Hi-Line.
Jennifer Patrick is the project manager for the Milk River Project Joint Board of Control, which is overseeing construction.
“I’m feeling a little bit nervous,” admitted Patrick Wednesday morning. “The water is halfway to us right now. We kicked water in this morning at about 50 cfs so it’s going to come slow but we’re all nervous and excited. I would say very excited.”
Patrick said the water will flow through the system until mid August in an effort to refill the reservoirs along the Milk River.
A May 2025 news release from the Bureau of Reclamation reported the St. Mary Siphon failure impacted water levels in the Fresno and Nelson reservoirs. Fresno Reservoir as well below average, while the Nelson Reservoir was about average.
Patrick says water will flow until August 15 when the system will shut down to begin work on Halls Coulee Siphon, which she says is in worse shape than what St. Mary Siphon was when it collapsed.
“We’re working on getting all the permits in place. Working with the Blackfeet Tribe who has been excellent throughout this…this whole endeavor. We are moving over to Halls Coulee. Sletten (Construction) is actually moving stuff today….we’re moving day today. They are moving off site and so they’re moving over there right now to get going after the fourth of July. We are not done yet. We’re not cutting any ribbons. We’re not—no one has missed any tours or anything like that. We just need to keep momentum and move on to the next structure,” said Patrick.
The project manager said they hope to have this second structure completed by the end of this year or early next year. They’re just hoping to avoid winter construction.
