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Arlee, Montana
Jocko Area Canal Conversion
Phases 1-4 project conserves water, reduces energy, and sustains irrigation for CSKT Tribe
Located on the Flathead Indian Reservation, the Jocko Area Canal Conversion, Phases 1-4 is a $22M project that replaces century-old open canals and private pipelines with a buried, gravity-fed, pressurized system that conserves water, reduces energy use, sustains irrigation, and advances Jocko River restoration. Led by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes (CSKT), it is one of the first major modernization projects delivered under the CSKT-Montana Water Rights Compact and a model for balancing Tribal, agricultural, environmental, and community priorities.
The historic canal system serves more than 4,500 acres through open ditches, sublaterals, and private community systems. While vital to farms and ranches, seepage losses, limited measurement, and poor flow control required unnecessary diversions and constrained Compact-mandated instream flow targets. Those targets are essential to improving river conditions and protecting native fish habitat, including bull trout, a species of deep cultural importance to CSKT.
Owner and Client
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Size
4,500 acres
Budget
$22M
Award(s)
2027 Montana ACEC Engineering Excellence Honor Award | Category G - Water Resources
Contractors install more than 100,000 linear feet of pipe, from 48-inch mains to 2-inch service
connections. During peak activity, Morrison-Maierle managed multiple contractors that operated
simultaneously with numerous crews working on several parts of the project throughout the valley.
This image shows the in-process formwork and reinforcement system for the first canal intake
structure footing. Morrison-Maierle, in addition to civil engineering, also provided the structural
engineering design on this project.
An overshot weir controls flow at the larger canal intake structure. Morrison-Maierle intentionally
designed structures, procedures, and standards like this that can be reused as CSKT advances
additional modernization projects.
Contractors work to install the pressure reducing valve station. Morrison-Maierle’s hydraulic
modeling revealed that available elevation changes generated pressures that exceeded
requirements, which prompted them to develop specialized pressure-management strategies. As
a result, the design instead uses gravity as a renewable energy source that eliminates many of the operational costs associated with conventional pumping systems.
Services and Highlights
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Canal conversion to limited demand pipelines.
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Canal intakes modeled with 2D HEC-RAS.
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Closed conduit hydraulic modeling.
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Electrical engineering.
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Environmental permitting, including a NEPA Environmental Assessment and riparian permits.
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Facilitating public involvement, including hosting a two-day irrigator outreach event.
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Large-scale regional water resource master planning.
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Off-site data collection, including review of aerial photography, topographic maps/data, National Wetland Inventory maps, NRCS soils surveys, groundwater wells, ecological setting, land cover, noxious weeds, general wildlife/vegetation, and federally listed species.
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On-site data collection, including control survey, topographic survey, boundary survey, structure assessment, and wetland and waterway delineation.
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Operation and maintenance plans of the proposed system, including drainage, air release, water delivery, and easements.
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Project management services.
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Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) analysis and design.
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Tribal and federal staff coordination.
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US Fish and Wildlife Service coordination.
The Solution
After leading comprehensive planning, data collection, and engineering investigations, Morrison-Maierle designed a solution that transformed an open-channel irrigation system into a gravity-fed, pressurized pipeline network that delivers water without requiring most irrigators to pump. This approach leverages available elevation changes to generate system pressure while conserving water and energy at the same time.
Hydraulic modeling revealed that available elevation changes generated pressures exceeding requirements, prompting the development of specialized pressure-management strategies. The resulting design instead uses gravity as a renewable energy source while avoiding many of the operational costs associated with conventional pumping systems.
The team implemented high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe on a scale uncommon for irrigation projects in Montana. It developed a system that blends characteristics of municipal water distribution, irrigation conveyance, and drainage infrastructure. The design required pressure-reducing valve stations, air release systems, isolation facilities, and seasonal drainage capabilities. As a result, the project incorporated engineering solutions typically associated with multiple utility sectors into a single integrated irrigation delivery system in a rural environment.
The full design includes more than 100,000 linear feet of pipe, from 48-inch mains to 2-inch service connections, with intake structures, screening, valves, gates, canal-level controls, flow measurement, and related appurtenances. Phases 1-4 include 12.2 miles of pipeline, 161 structures, and 93 delivery connections.
It also involved approximately 93 individual water delivery connections and affected numerous landowners, each with unique operational requirements and concerns. To address the wide variety of needs, the team developed flexible design standards that accommodate each irrigator’s site-specific requirements—such as delivery locations, alignment desires, fence/field restoration requests, to name a few—while maintaining consistency across the broader system.
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The Jocko Area Canal before the conversion project.
The unlined lateral canals had high seepage rates.
The K Canal Pipeline intake structures design included mitigation for the types of debris shown here.
The Benefits
The firm delivered a solution that not only conserved water but also provided additional benefits, including energy savings, improved service reliability, operational flexibility, and a scalable framework for future modernization projects. These outcomes extend well beyond basic infrastructure replacement and support CSKT’s long-term strategic objectives as well as protecting native fish habitat, including bull trout, a species of deep cultural importance for the tribe.
Funded through the larger $1.9 billion Compact settlement, the project delivers value well beyond its footprint. It provides a replicable model for future modernization efforts where water scarcity, aging infrastructure, energy costs, and environmental restoration intersect.
Learn more about our work with tribal nationsMeet the Team
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