St. Mary Siphon Fails, Area Now Closed to Public

In an announcement this morning via social media, the Milk River Project stated that the St. Mary Siphon, part of the St. Mary Canal, has suffered a "catastrophic failure at the inlet of both siphon tubes. The powerful water flow caused the 100+ year-old siphons to break apart, washing away the concrete structures holding the pipes underneath." The area is located near Babb, MT.

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The St. Mary Diversion Dam and Canal were completed in 1915 and the Bureau of Land Management has stated that "much of the dams existing structural components are dilapidated and in need of replacement."

Two Failures Within Hours Of Each Other Create Problems for Everyone

In the release, the Milk River project said "This morning (6.17.2024 around 9:00 a.m.), the St. Mary siphon on the St. Mary Canal outside of Babb, MT, suffered a catastrophic failure while Reclamation personnel were monitoring a crack. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the damage is extensive."

The canal had been shut down prior to the failure, but the buildings below the siphon still suffered extensive damage. Those affected include the Hooks Hide-Away bar, hotel and roping arena.

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Area Near Babb, MT To Remain Closed into Next Week

For safety reasons, the area has been closed off by orders of the Blackfeet Nation/Blackfeet Tribal Business Council. In a separate post via social media, they stated that:

"THE ST. MARY CANAL/MILK RIVER IN BABB, MT - IS CLOSED TO ALL RIVER ACTIVITIES, NO FLOATING, BOATING/RAFTING, SWIMMING, ETC. FOR THE WEEK OF MONDAY JUNE 17, 2024, TO MONDAY JUNE 24, 2024. FOR YOUR SAFETY, PLEASE STAY OUT OF THE AREA. ROAD CLOSURE TO CAMP 9 ROAD (HOOKS HIDEAWAY) ALL ROADS ARE CLOSED IN THESE AREAS. EMERCENGY PERSONNEL ONLY. UPDATES WILL BE POSTED AT A LATER DATE. THANK YOU"

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History Of Black Eagle Dam, Great Falls Montana

History Of Black Eagle Dam, Great Falls Montana

Gallery Credit: Tammie Toren

Ryan Dam, Great Falls Montana

Ryan Dam, Big Falls, and Picnic Area Great Falls, Montana

Gallery Credit: Tammie Toren

Yellowstone National Park Rebuilds After Historic Flooding

After catastrophic flooding damaged portions of Yellowstone National Park in June of 2022, major reconstruction was necessary to make the park passable again. The following are photos of the improvement projects at Old Gardiner Road and the Northeast Entrance Road. All photos are courtesy of the National Park Service, photographer Jacob W. Frank.

Filed Under: babb, catastrophic, dam failure, flooding, Social Post, st. mary

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