HAVRE — Fresno Reservoir north of Havre, typically a hub for fishing and summer recreation, is nearly dry this year—a troubling development for thousands of residents along Montana’s Hi-Line who rely on it for their water supply.
In recent weeks, the reservoir’s level has fallen to around 10 percent of capacity, losing several inches of water each day. Officials warn that if the situation doesn’t improve soon, it could threaten drinking water, sanitation and irrigation in multiple communities along the Milk River.
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“Currently, the St. Mary’s siphon artificially supplies the Milk River for year-round water supply for our communities along the Milk River Valley,” said Trevor Mork, Havre Public Works Director. “It’s getting a little tight. It’s the beginning of the season, which would be fine if it was November. But being we’re coming into the hot time of year, it’s unpredictable what may come.”
Havre, home to about 10,000 residents, has already implemented non-essential water restrictions this summer to try to conserve what’s left of the supply. The same challenges are playing out downstream in Harlem, Chinook and Fort Belknap, where the Milk River provides drinking water to around 2,500 people.
“You know, we need this water,” said Gene Talks Different, Fort Belknap Water Plant Manager. “The water is used for everything—for cooking, cleaning, sewer. It really is the lifeline of the community.”
Fort Belknap officials have started planning for worst-case scenarios. Talks Different said the tribe has secured a grant to drill a backup well if the Milk River dries up.
“We’re already looking for another water source,” he said. “That started when the failure happened. We had a group of people get together and start brainstorming. They got a grant, and it’s going to move forward.”
Meanwhile, in Havre, city leaders are coordinating with state and federal agencies—and even communities across the border in Canada—on contingency plans.
“A lot of those actions are if our water supply becomes drastically low or doesn’t exist,” Mork said. “How do we get water to our community for those essential needs of drinking water, health and hygiene, and fire suppression?”
Officials are hopeful that with the St. Mary’s diversion now back online, water will begin flowing back into the reservoir in the coming weeks. But they remain concerned about how long it will take to refill Fresno, and whether the quality of the water will be safe for use right away.
“It’ll just be that first few days it hits Fresno,” Mork said. “We’re hoping that it mixes somewhere here and there. Hopefully there’s some rains that come that way. We’re getting a good mix of water qualities from many sources.”
For many along the Hi-Line, the crisis has been an eye-opening reminder of the fragility of the century-old irrigation system that underpins life in northern Montana.
“I think we all take it for granted,” Talks Different said. “And now that we’re in the situation, it’s kind of like a reality.”
IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURE
The St. Mary’s siphon supplying the Milk River is back up and running, but officials say it could take two to three weeks before water reaches Fresno Reservoir, where levels remain far below average.
The reservoir is currently 31 feet below the top of the conservation pool, exposing large stretches of dry lakebed. Fresno is one of two main reservoirs fed by the Milk River, along with Nelson Reservoir near Malta.
While many communities rely on these reservoirs for drinking water, most of the supply supports irrigation across 140,000 acres of farmland along the Milk River. Farmers lost about half of the water needed to get through the 2024 growing season, forcing some to leave tens of thousands of acres unwatered.
Officials estimate it will take 14 to 21 days for flows to replenish Fresno, and even longer before water levels approach normal.
