Governor Gianforte Views Halls Coulee Siphon Replacement Project

Governor Gianforte Views Halls Coulee Siphon Replacement Project

• September 17 2025

BABB, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte yesterday continued his 56 County Tour in Glacier County, visiting the Halls Coulee siphon in Babb for a tour of the construction work to repair the aging infrastructure.

"The St. Mary and Halls Coulee siphons are lifeline for water users in eastern Montana," Gov. Gianforte said. "I am grateful to all state, local, federal, and tribal partners who worked quickly to secure funding and start repairs on this critical infrastructure."

Gov. Gianforte viewing repairs to the Halls Coulee Siphon in Babb

Constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation, the St. Mary and Halls Coulee siphons are part of the St. Mary Canal system that have provided irrigation water along the Milk River for over 100 years. Since then, the system has evolved into a multiuse project which provides water for municipalities, recreation, and wildlife habitat. This system accounts for 70 to 95 percent of the flows in the Milk River during periods of drought and supplies drinking water to 18,000 Montanans and irrigates 140,000 acres.

After a catastrophic failure of the St. Mary Siphon in June 2024, state, federal, local, and tribal partners worked together to secure funding to replace the broken and outdate infrastructure.

Following the failure of the siphons, Gov. Gianforte requested and received federal assistance from Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation which authorized federal funds to repair the siphons, which is estimated to cost around $80 million.

In November 2024, the state provided key financial support through a $26 million loan to the Milk River Joint Board of Control (MRJBOC), requiring interest only payments. This mechanism, managed by The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and funded via House Bill 6, supports repairs for the Halls Coulee and St. Mary siphons.

Repairs to the St. Mary siphon were recently completed ahead of schedule, restoring water flow along the Hi-Line, and the replacement of the Halls Coulee siphon began last month. Joined by representatives from the Bureau of Reclamation and the Milk River Joint Board of Control, the governor viewed progress on the infrastructure upgrades.

"The success of the St. Mary and Hall's Coulee Siphon Replacement projects is a direct result of the strong partnerships among the State of Montana, the Federal Government, local stakeholders, the Blackfeet Tribe, and our dedicated contractors," said Jennifer Patrick, project manager for the Milk River Joint Board of Control. "Each group brought critical expertise, collaboration, and a shared commitment to seeing these vital projects through. This effort stands as a powerful example of what we can accomplish when we come together with a common purpose."

The MRJBOC encompasses eight irrigation districts from Havre to Glasgow. During the governor's visit to Babb, he also heard from irrigators who traveled from Malta and Glasgow to praise the progress of the project to underscore its importance to eastern Montana's water supply.

"Many communities in eastern Montana would not exist without this critical infrastructure. Water is essential to for the production of our lands. It's great to see water flow restored and continued progress to secure this vital resource into the future," Gov. Gianforte concluded.