Letter to the Editor - Thanks to Tester on Milk River Project

Editor,

For many years, my family has had farm land under the Glasgow Irrigation District. That is part of the larger Milk River Irrigation System that brings water all across the Hi-Line, over 700 miles from the Mountains to the irrigated acres in Blaine, Hill, Phillips and Valley Counties and to many cities and communities for their drinking water. A structure on that system at St. Mary failed some years back. The Bureau of Reclamation has been working to get it properly repaired.

I, and I am sure many others, have signed petitions and written letters of support regarding this important structure. It has been years of effort and there have been articles in the media. There have been many promises and words of support from local, state and nationally elected officials — and, finally, thanks to Sen. Jon Tester and President Joe Biden and all those caring Congressmen who supported the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Congress has approved the funding needed and the BOR can make the necessary improvements.

The economic benefits to the Hi-Line area will be obvious. Agricultural dollars turn over in the local economy many times. These funds are an investment in the future and will show benefit for many years. In addition, those communities who rely on water for residential use will have a reliable, clean water supply.

This is so very important to Valley County along with the other communities along the Milk River. This is a positive news story that truly deserves a celebration and large headlines in all the news media along the Milk River route.

Thanks again, Sen. Tester, for your work, and for being the only member of the Montana congressional delegation who would show support by voting for the project. I appreciate you.

Shirley Ball

Nashua