The new St. Mary Diversion Dam in Babb, MT is hitting a milestone moment: the major concrete pours are complete, and the team has moved into what they call “the fun part” — installing the mechanical and technical components that transform the structure into a fully functioning diversion. The latest addition is the trash rake, which keeps the system running efficiently by clearing sticks, branches, and vegetation away from the intake and trash racks — protecting water flow into the canal and shielding the gates and downstream equipment from damage or blockage. With the season turning, the crew is focused on “making progress before the snow flies,” and each installation brings the project one step closer to a fully operational dam.
Here’s the latest update from The Milk River Project:
It’s all about making progress before the snow flies!
The team has been pushing hard on concrete pours, and now we’re getting into the fun part — installing all of the mechanical and technical components that will make the new St. Mary Diversion Dam work in Babb, MT.
This photo shows the trash rake being installed. The trash rake helps keep the diversion operating efficiently by removing sticks, branches, vegetation, and other debris that can collect in front of the intake and trash racks. Keeping that material cleared helps maintain water flow into the canal and protects the gates and other downstream equipment from damage or blockage.
A lot of pieces are starting to come together, and every installation gets us one step closer to a fully operational diversion dam!
Feature photo and caption via The Milk River Project: The trash rake isn’t showing in this picture because it would block the gates, but I wanted you to see where on the structure it was being installed.
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