Montana
Montana canal pipe splits open, flooding area and threatening local farming industry, 1 city’s water
Two century-old steel pipes that help convey water from a river on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to a river that helps irrigate northern Montana cropland have failed, causing local flooding and raising concerns about the availability of drinking water for 14,000 residents in the city of Havre later this summer.
No injuries or deaths have been reported since the first 7.5 foot (2.3 meter) pipe split open Monday morning, causing flooding in the rural area east of Glacier National Park near the U.S.-Canadian border. The gushing of water caused some washouts 50 feet (15.24 meters) deep and destabilized the concrete footings holding a second pipe, which broke Monday afternoon, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said.
Staff closed the headgates that diverted St. Mary River water into a 9-mile (14.48-kilometer) canal after the first pipe was breached, but the Bureau of Reclamation expected it to take up to 36 hours for that canal to drain through the broken pipes. The water, which was flowing at 600 cubic feet per second when the first pipe broke, was down to a trickle Tuesday afternoon, said Ryan Newman, the bureau’s Montana area manager.
The pipes, which were built between 1912 and 1926, are part of a siphon system to carry St. Mary River water across a ravine over the river and uphill to another canal that feeds it into the North Fork of the Milk River.
The break comes a month before a $100 million replacement project on the headgates was expected to begin and during the peak irrigation season.
The agency’s 2023 study of the headgates replacement project warned that a failure would affect farmers through reduced crop production and could place a strain on local businesses and communities.
The economic impact of the failure of the pipes will depend on how long it takes crews to restore the flow of water to local producers, who are between 200 and 350 miles (320 and 560 kilometers) from the diversion. The Bureau of Reclamation will start working on those assessments, Newman said. Design work on a project to replace the pipes, which was underway before the pipes failed, is about 60% complete, he said.
Officials with the Milk River Project, the organization set to oversee the headgates replacement project, labeled the breach a “catastrophic failure,” which could result in an economic disaster for north-central Montana, the Flathead Beacon reported. Farmers with 120,000 acres (45,562 hectares) of land from Havre to Glasgow rely on the irrigation water, Newman said.
The flooding scoured the hillside, damaged property, eliminated an access road to a motel and a horse boarding facility in Babb, Montana, and could cause utility disruptions in the surrounding areas, officials said.
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This story has been updated to correct that replacement work on the headgates, not the pipes, was scheduled to start next month.
Montana
Public Meeting at Hub on Smith Concerning Montana Water Call Prompting Priority Administration in Tongue Basin
Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart announced that on May 5, 2026, the State of Montana placed a call under Article V(A) of the Yellowstone River Compact to fill Tongue River Reservoir in Montana. As a result, priority administration is in effect on post-1950 water rights in Wyoming that divert water from the Tongue River and its tributaries and are not excluded from the compact.
A public meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, in the dining room of The Hub on Smith. Attendees are asked to enter on the north side of the building.
The Tongue River Basin has been experiencing drought conditions over the past year with historically low winter snowpack and streamflow conditions. According to the release, those conditions led to Montana’s interstate call and prompted the administration of the Tongue River Basin in Wyoming.
The priority administration will affect post-1950 water rights within the Tongue River Basin, including reservoir storage, stream diversions and groundwater withdrawals, all of which affect river flows. Post-1950 water rights will be regulated off or prevented from turning on. Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners will continue to administer reservoir storage and post-1950 diversions throughout the spring and work with affected water users until the administration is lifted.
As provided in the compact, domestic uses less than one-half acre in area and livestock uses, including stock reservoirs less than 20 acre-feet in capacity, are excluded from this administration. The release noted these excluded rights could be subject to future regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.
Beginning May 5, 2026, Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners have worked to record the current storage levels of reservoirs with post-1950 water rights. Going forward, those reservoirs can continue to accrue storage so long as post-1950 storage gained after the interstate call on May 5 remains in storage until either the water is released to satisfy the Montana call or Montana lifts the call because Tongue River Reservoir will fill.
Reservoirs with unfulfilled pre-1950 water rights can continue to store water and that storage will not be subject to release to satisfy Montana’s call. However, that storage and other direct flow rights could be subject to regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.
The priority administration will be carried out pursuant to state law by hydrographer-commissioners assigned to various portions of the Tongue River Basin, working under the direction of Division II Superintendent David Schroeder.
The Wyoming State Engineer’s Office can be contacted at:
Jack Morey, deputy state engineer, 307-777-5032, jack.morey2@wyo.gov
David Schroeder, Division II superintendent, 307-674-7012, d.schroeder@wyo.gov
Jeff Cowley, interstate streams administrator, 307-777-1942, jeff.cowley@wyo.gov
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 12, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 12 drawing
17-32-35-40-47, Mega Ball: 17
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 12 drawing
04-12-17-24, Bonus: 11
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 12 drawing
19-21-35-38-53, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The Montana Highway Patrol hosts the Law Enforcement Appreciation Poster Contest every year. This year was the 5th annual contest, where kids all over the state submitted works of art to honor law enforcement officers.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced the seven winners, for seven districts, late Monday, May 11.
The District One winner was Brooke Murphy, a fifth-grade student at Missoula Hellgate Elementary School.
Murphy’s wonderful, winning artwork!. Credit: Brooke Murphy & the Montana Attorney General’s Office.
“I appreciate law enforcement. They help us no matter what,” Murphy said in a statement from Knudsen’s office.
“It’s important to instill in young Montanans that this is a state that ‘Backs the Blue.’ Knowing they have the support of the community can make a world of difference to law enforcement officers, and these posters are a visual reminder that Montanans have their backs,” Knudsen said in a press release.
READ MORE: Popular Instagram Page Spotlights This Rustic Montana Roadhouse
Knudsen, Highway Patrol Colonel Kurt Sager, and a representative with Stockman Bank celebrated with Brooke and her class.
Credit: Office of Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen
It’s nice to win, but even nicer to receive the $750 courtesy of Stockman Bank and an ice cream party for the whole class to celebrate.
READ MORE: Watch a Bear and a Wolf Battle Over Dinner At Yellowstone National Park
Brooke was also named the statewide winner.
Here were the other district winners:
District Two: Payson Wittmer, of Great Falls
District Four: Madison Turner, of Huntley
District Five: Jacob Baisch, of Glendive
District Six: Ainsley Robinson, of Ronan
District Seven: Finley Roney, of Livingston
Congrats to all the winners!
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Gallery Credit: Ace Sauerwein
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