Montana’s Congressional delegation has introduced legislation to increase investments in the Milk River Infrastructure Project that thousands of farmers use for irrigation water in north-central Montana.
Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines as well as Congressman Greg Gianforte introduced the St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act, which will ensure the federal government picks up 75 percent of the costs for upgrades to the century-old water project.
According to Tester’s office, the federal government only funds 26 percent of the project, which leaves local users to pay for the rest.
“Water is life, and folks across the Hi-Line understand how critical this investment is for our state’s number one industry,” Tester stated. “This bill will ensure that local taxpayers, farmers, and ranchers aren’t stuck with a big bill while important upgrades are made to one of the nation’s first water reclamation projects.”