UPDATED 10:56 A.M., JUNE 18: A piece of infrastructure used to divert water from the St. Mary River to the North Fork of the Milk River has suffered a “catastrophic failure,” according to Milk River Project personnel.
The failure involves the St. Mary River Siphon, which is composed of a pair of 90-inch riveted steel barrels that traverse a 3,200-foot section of the St. Mary Valley to divert water to the North Fork of the Milk River.
In a Facebook post, the Milk River Joint Board of Control said the failure occurred at approximately 9 a.m. Monday while U.S. Bureau of Reclamation personnel were monitoring a crack in the siphon.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the damage is extensive,” the post reads. “The canal was shut down prior to the failure, but the hillside, Hook’s Hide-Away bar, hotel and roping arena have all been significantly impacted with the water.”
A phone call to Hook’s Hideaway was not immediately returned Monday.
Approximately five hours after one of the barrels failed, the other failed as well, compounding the damage to the siphon and the canal.
Monday evening, the Milk River Project Joint Board of Control Facebook page reported that the inlet of both siphon tubes had also given way.
“The powerful water flow caused the 100-plus-year-old siphons to break apart, washing away the concrete structures holding the pipes underneath,” according to the post.
In a press release, the Bureau of Reclamation said approximately 600 cubic feet of water per second were running through the canal when the siphon gave way.
The older of the two barrels that comprise the siphon was built in 1915. Issues associated with buckling, seepage and corrosion have challenged project managers for decades, according to the Milk River Joint Board of Control.
“Diversions have been stopped, however flows are expected to continue for as long as 24 to 36 hours while the canal drains,” the bureau wrote in the press release, adding that additional agencies responding to the incident include the Blackfeet Tribe, the Glacier County Sheriff’s Department, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department, the National Park Service and Glacier Electric.
In addition to causing “localized property damage,” the flooding may pose public safety risks. A post on the Blackfeet Nation/Blackfeet Tribal Business Council’s Facebook page urges residents to stay out of the area and refrain from all river activities for at least a week.
The BOR wrote that it is considering short-term solutions to address flooding impacts and will conduct detailed assessments of the siphon and reconstruction prospects when it is safe to do so.
Milk River Project Manager Jennifer Patrick did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the failure’s implications for water users dependent on the canal for drinking water and irrigation.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was designed to mitigate events like this by allocating $8.3 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation to repair aging water delivery systems, secure dams, complete rural water projects and protect aquatic ecosystems,” the agency wrote in the release.
On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Gov. Greg Gianforte, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke wrote that they are monitoring the situation.
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“The state is working with local and federal authorities to identify the extent of the damage caused to the surrounding area and to water users,” Gianforte wrote.
Tester wrote that he has “pressed federal officials for immediate attention to the situation.”
“As the full extent of the damage is evaluated, I’ll continue to be in touch with local leaders and encourage folks to remain away from the affected area,” Tester wrote.
Daines wrote Monday evening that he is keeping in close contact with authorities on the ground following the failure of the second siphon. “Stay vigilant and stay away from the affected areas,” he counseled.
“Thankfully no injuries reported, but please heed the advice of public safety officials and avoid the area,” Zinke wrote. “The St. Mary’s is critical infrastructure delivering water down nearly the entire Hi-Line. My office is working closely with the state and feds and ready to provide any assistance in my power.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $100 million earmarked for the Milk River Project. In an August 2021 story, Patrick said much of that allocation would likely be used to rehabilitate the St. Mary’s Diversion Dam, which funnels water from lower St. Mary Lake into the St. Mary Canal. A Bozeman-based construction company recently received an $88 million contract to repair parts of the dam and canal, and was expected to begin construction next month with a forecasted 2027 completion date.
Blackfeet Water Director K. Webb Galbreath told the Flathead Beacon on Monday afternoon that the extent of damage to the infrastructure wouldn’t be known until the canal finished draining — estimated to occur sometime Tuesday — and a more thorough damage assessment can be conducted.
“This is just my opinion, but it’s done,” Galbreath said. “There is no fixing it. It’s going to require a whole refurbishment. And in the meantime, it’s going to be a catastrophe for everybody downstream, not only economically to the ranchers and farmers, but also to the municipalities; drinking water, irrigation, it’s going to have a domino effect in my mind.”
In 2020, a concrete structure on the 29-mile St. Mary Canal collapsed, depriving some irrigators along the Hi-Line of water for multiple months.
This story was updated June 18, 2024, with information about further siphon damage and quotes from policymakers.
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