U.S. CONGRESS – Today, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester and Congressman Matt Rosendale introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to provide much needed funding to Montana water infrastructure. The bill, “St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act,” legislation will ensure the St. Mary’s Diversion Dam receives $52 million for rehabilitation efforts, and require the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BoR) to use an ability-to-pay study on what the current water users could afford to pay for the project and set the cost share for the rehabilitation based on that study.
“Farmers and ranchers’ livelihoods in northern Montana depend on the St. Mary’s Milk River System and after serving the Hi-Line for over a century, it’s past time for an upgrade,” Daines said. “The collapse of the drop structure last summer illustrated the urgency in getting this project the funding it needs. We came together to fix the drop structure last summer, and we will come together to get this bill across the finish line.”
Background:
Daines has been leading the fight for funding the rehabilitation of St. Mary’s River Project.
Last June, Daines sent a letter urging the Department of Interior to respond to St. Mary’s River Project Amid Drop Five’s Failure.