milk river

It may be too late for too many this growing season, but the water is flowing once again for the lifeline of Montana's Hi Line. The US Bureau of Reclamation sent out the good news Wednesday afternoon: St. Mary Siphon Repairs Complete

It's a lifeline to the Hi Line. Is funding for the St. Mary Irrigation Project on the rocks in the Montana Legislature? Apparently so.

“I think Wade Jones (a Glasgow irrigated farmer) said it best when he said if we lose the Milk River, you might as well just take the top half of the map of Montana and tear it off. It’s that significant.”

It's a lifeline to the Hi Line. When you look at how important agriculture is to our economy, especially across the northern tier of Montana all along Highway 2, you also need to look at how important irrigation is to the farmers and ranchers. Here's audio of my chat with Assistant Interior Secretary Tim Petty during his visit to Montana.