Milk River runs dry: St. Mary Canal failure disastrous for Hi-Line irrigators

Next year, for the first time in more than 100 years, farmers and ranchers across Montana’s Hi-Line region will face a summer without irrigation water.

Normally, water from the St. Mary River is diverted into the Milk River, which runs through north-central Montana towns like Havre and Malta. 

But the infrastructure that moved the water failed in June, and it won’t be repaired until the 2025 irrigating season is over. Agricultural producers say they face devastation. 

By mid-August this year, the Milk River above Havre had run completely dry. That could be the norm for all of next summer. 

With me today is Joshua Murdock, reporter for the Missoulian, who visited the St. Mary Canal to inspect damage, and who traveled the entire length of the Milk River affected by the loss of water. 

Montana Untamed, hosted by Thom Bridge, covers the state's rugged landscape from hook and bullet to policy and science.