Tester Secures $2 Million in Additional Emergency Funding to Continue Repairs on St. Mary Canal

Senator advocated for this additional funding to prevent a potential funding gap this fall

Continuing his efforts to rehabilitate the St. Mary Canal and support irrigators impacted by the catastrophic siphon failure that occurred earlier this summer, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today secured an additional $2 million in emergency funding to continue repairs on the St. Mary Canal. The funding, which comes from the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) Dam Safety Office, will bridge the gap between the expiration of previous BOR emergency funds on November 1, 2024 and the release of additional funding through passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 government funding bill. Tester advocated for this new funding to ensure the project remains fully funded and on track to be completed without delay.

“It is critically important for irrigators who rely on the Milk River Project that we get water flowing as soon as possible,” said Tester. “I’m glad to see that significant progress is already being made, but we’ve got to keep this project fully funded and moving. Montana’s farmers and ranchers can’t afford any delays, which is why I’m proud to have secured additional federal funding to support construction through the end of the year.” 

Earlier this summer, a major siphon burst on the Milk River Project near Babb, Montana resulted in thousands of gallons of water flooding the surrounding area, causing extensive damage to local businesses, and impacting vital irrigation to farmland in the surrounding area.

In early August, as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tester secured federal funding for the Milk River Project in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies bill. The bill, which will advance to the full Senate as part of the FY25 appropriations package, includes federal funding for repairs to the St. Mary canal. This funding is non-reimbursable, and comes at no cost to local communities. 

Last month, in direct response to pressure from Tester, the Biden Administration announced they would immediately begin rehabilitation work along the Milk River Project. The Bureau of Reclamation agreed to fund the repairs through existing emergency authorities under Public Law 111-11. Tester also successfully pushed President Biden to include the Milk River Project in his Administration’s domestic supplemental package, which would make federal funding available to pay for the reconstruction of the St. Mary Canal.

In June, Tester took to the Senate floor to successfully pass his bipartisan Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) Water Rights Settlement Act, which would provide critical funding for repairs on the Milk River Project. Tester’s Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) Water Rights Settlement Act will provide $1.3 billion to improve infrastructure and economic development for the Fort Belknap Indian Community and improve the efficiency of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Milk River Project, which furnishes water for the irrigation of about 121,000 acres of Tribal and non-Tribal land. The bill specifically includes $275 million to rehabilitate the St. Mary Canal, and will restore Tribal management to 38,462 acres of state and federal land for the FBIC. Tester successfully passed the FBIC Water Compact through the Senate earlier this Congress as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans stripped it from the final package.

Earlier this summer, Tester announced that a more than $88 million contract was awarded to Montana-based NW Construction to complete the St. Mary Diversion Dam Replacement project. The contract is part of the up to $100 million Tester secured for the Milk River Project through his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which he negotiated and helped pass into law. Tester was the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to support the legislation and to support additional improvements to the St. Mary Canal.