Canal pipe breaks, threatening a northern Montana irrigation project and drinking water

By AMY BETH HANSON
Associated Press

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. It has caused local flooding and raised concerns about the availability of drinking water for at least 14,000 residents, including in the city of Havre. The first pipe split Monday morning. Washouts destabilized a parallel pipe, which failed that afternoon. Workers closed the headgates that diverted the St. Mary River water into a 9-mile long canal. The water was down to a trickle by Tuesday afternoon. The economic fallout will depend on how long it takes crews to restore the flow of water.