BILLINGS, Mont. — The Bureau of Reclamation today announced more than $88 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to the St. Mary Diversion Dam Replacement project. The project, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will bring reliable irrigation and municipal water from the St. Mary River to rural customers in Montana along the Milk River.
The $88,321,400 project award to NW Construction, Inc. out of Bozeman, Montana, ensures the water users along the Milk River have a reliable water source while protecting Bull Trout through the Endangered Species Act.
“The St. Mary Diversion Dam Replacement Project will ensure that the current benefits provided by the existing 110-year-old diversion dam will continue long into the future,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “Through the President’s Investing in America agenda, Reclamation can now advance these important water projects that have been paused for decades due to lack of funding. By providing $100 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for the project, the water users of the Milk River Project can focus on rehabilitating other important components of this historic system.”
“Water transferred over by the St. Mary Canal is the lifeblood of the communities along the Milk River Project. Its benefits ripple out, touching every aspect of life in our region, from agriculture to health, from economy to environment,” said Ryan Newman, Montana Office Area Manager.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates $8.3 billion for Bureau of Reclamation water infrastructure projects over five years to advance drought resilience and expand access to clean water for families, farmers, and wildlife. The investment will repair aging water delivery systems, secure dams, and complete rural water projects, and protect aquatic ecosystems. The funding for this project is part of $3.2 billion in Aging Infrastructure funding provided by the Law.
This is a major water infrastructure project funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide reliable irrigation and municipal water to northern Montana while ensuring protection of Bull Trout through the Endangered Species Act.
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