Sidney Water Users
Improvements by the Sidney Water Users Irrigation District in Montana save valuable water for crop irrigation.
The Sidney Water Users Irrigation District (SWUID), is based in Sidney, in Richland County in Montana. The district serves water to 48 family farms across around 5,000 acres in eastern Montana.
The Yellowstone River provides the water used by the district.
Efficiently moving this water to the farm fields where it is needed can be a complicated process.
Additionally, the area has experienced heightened drought conditions in recent years, and low flows in the Yellowstone River have caused water shortages during peak irrigation months.
The district has dedicated infrastructure for transporting water from the river. The system includes newer pipelines, four pump stations, and at least two relift stations.
Over the past 15 years, project landowners have invested over $2.6 million in irrigation efficiency improvements, including pivots, pipelines, and gated pipe, to help maintain access to affordable irrigation water.
These efforts include a WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant to convert 12,200 feet of an earthen canal to pipeline and install flow meters. The new pipeline is expected to save 1,312 acre-feet a year of water that is now lost to seepage and inefficient conveyance.
