Tester Urges Lead Congressional Appropriators to Ensure No Cost Falls on Local Irrigators to Maintain Lower Yellowstone Fish Passage

Senator to Congressional colleagues: “The federal government simply cannot abandon this project and stick local irrigators with the operation and maintenance bill”

Continuing his efforts to support local farmers and irrigators, U.S. Senator Jon Tester sent a letter to fellow Congressional appropriators, urging them to include language in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Energy Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act ensuring that no costs fall on local irrigators to operate and maintain the Lower Yellowstone Intake Bypass Channel.

In his letter, Tester emphasized that the federal government should continue to fund the Lower Yellowstone fish passage project rather than handing the bill over to local irrigators: “I do not believe it would be reasonable to transfer the costs of maintaining this new, costly facility to the local irrigators because it is clear that operations and maintenance costs of the fish passage will be significant.”

Tester concluded by urging Congressional appropriators to include language to ensure the federal government will continue to operate and maintain the project: “The fish passage can and will succeed in its mission, and hopefully set an example that can be used across the country to protect fish species. However, in order to do that, the federal government simply cannot abandon this project and stick local irrigators with the operation and maintenance bill.”

“For over 120 years, the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project (LYIP) has provided essential irrigation water to farmers and ranchers in Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota. Our community deeply values the importance of conservation and is committed to the recovery efforts of the Pallid sturgeon throughout the Yellowstone River ecosystem. The Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel is a prime example of how agriculture and conservation can coexist, benefiting both the environment and our agricultural communities,” said James Brower, Project Manager of the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project (LYIP). “We are grateful to Senator Jon Tester for standing up for and protecting our farmers, and for his unwavering support and dedication to listening to the voices of those who rely on LYIP for their livelihoods. His efforts to ensure that the responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the Fish Bypass Channel remains with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reflect his commitment to fairness and recognition that the burden of conservation is a shared responsibility for all Americans, not just the 300 farming families who depend on this vital irrigation project. We believe this is a significant step in the ongoing effort to protect the Pallid sturgeon and support sustainable agriculture.” 

As a third-generation Montana dirt farmer, Tester has consistently championed local farmers and irrigators in Montana. After the catastrophic siphon failure on the Milk River Project near Babb, Montana earlier this summer, Tester acted immediately to provide relief to local irrigators, successfully pushing the Biden Administration to immediately begin rehabilitation work along the Milk River Project. In addition, 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 and provide certainty to farmers and irrigators.

Read Tester’s full letter to Congressional appropriators HERE.