How the Montana Congressional Delegation Worked to Support the Drop 5 Reconstruction
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hen drop 5 on the St. Mary Unit of the Milk River Project failed in May 2020, a large group of stakeholders, including the Milk River Joint Board of Control (MRJBOC), the Bureau of Reclamation, and the State of Montana came together to address the problem and repair the structure. Montana’s delegation to Congress— Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester and Congressman Greg Gianforte—also played a key role in coordinating efforts and pushing forward legislation to address the situation. In this interview, we speak with Senators Daines and Tester and Congressman Gianforte, who was recently elected governor of Montana, about their involvement in the drop 5 reconstruction and their legislative efforts to aid the Milk River Project.
Senator Steve Daines Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your experience over the past few months working to secure funding and help for the Milk River Project.
Irrigation Leader: What has your experience working with the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Department of the Interior been like? Steve Daines: Reclamation and Interior have been fantastic to work with. Throughout the entire process, they were flexible and communicated regularly, turning over every rock to look for additional ways to help streamline the project and reduce the burden on the Montanans who were in dire need of this fix. Irrigation Leader: What was it like to be at the drop 5 ribbon cutting? Steve Daines: It was exciting to celebrate a huge bipartisan accomplishment and to finally see water running through the canal again. I had been there earlier in the summer, and
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Irrigation Leader: What will the effects of the drops 2 and 5 reconstruction be? Steve Daines: The quick and timely reconstruction of drops 2 and 5 means that the farmers, ranchers, water users, and tribes on the Hi-Line will all have access to clean water again. This is also a great example of how we can come together in a bipartisan fashion and quickly turn around major projects to help Montanans in need. Irrigation Leader: What are the current prospects for S. 1305, the St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act? Steve Daines: I’ve been working extensively with my colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to get the St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act through committee and to the Senate floor for a vote. We have to get this past the finish line. I’ll continue to work with the entire delegation and Senate leadership to push this through as soon as possible to prevent another catastrophic failure from happening in the future.
Governor-Elect Greg Gianforte Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your experience over the past few months working to secure funding and help for the Milk River Project. Greg Gianforte: It’s been an honor to advocate for Montana producers in Congress for the last 3 years, and I’m looking forward to continuing that work as Montana’s next governor. Before the failure of drop 5, we had been working with Interior to secure funding and upgrades for important infrastructure projects like this one. In May 2020, when drop 5 failed, it became an immediate priority of ours. In collaboration with local irrigators, the State of Montana, and the Trump administration, we were able to secure the funding needed to get water flowing through the Hi-Line again. Irrigation Leader: What has your experience working with Reclamation and Interior been like? Greg Gianforte: We couldn’t have accomplished this without everyone coming together to push this forward. Both here in irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF STEVE DAINES, THE OFFICE OF GREG GIANFORTE AND THE OFFICE OF JON TESTER.
Steve Daines: The catastrophic failure of drop 5 on the St. Mary Unit was a perfect example of why we needed a legislative change in the cost share. Thankfully, we saw great bipartisan collaboration and partnership among Congress, the Trump administration, and the stakeholders, all moving toward the same goal of expediting water delivery. Progress toward that goal was further aided by administrative relief. Working together in good faith is what led to the reconstruction of the Milk River Project as fast as it occurred, and that same momentum and collaboration is now needed to push legislation forward.
the difference was monumental, showing that months of hard work and coming together had paid off. It was a great moment to celebrate that success and what it means for Montana water users and irrigators.
