After much debate and hesitancy, the Worden-Ballantine Yellowstone County Water District Board voted to resume construction of the clean water project after a 10-day halt ordered by the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Huntley Project Irrigation District (HPID). Following a tense week of discussions between USBR, HPID, and WBYC, WBYC voted on Friday, March 6, 2026, to continue construction of most of the project despite liability risks associated with unlocatable irrigation drains owned by USBR and managed by HPID.
USBR and HPID halted the project on February 24, to provide time for all parties to reach an agreement related to the liability risks associated with USBR’s unlocatable irrigation drains and who would be responsible for damages to the drain systems should they be damaged during the final stages of WBYC’s water project. In a teleconference meeting on March 4 at 9am, WBYC and USBR met to discuss an agreement, and it was here that WBYC presented a modified Memorandum of Understanding to more clearly define the expectations for the water project. According to WBYC, USBR and HPID refused WBYC’s final draft MOU, stating that the project would instead be allowed to continue under the existing permit for the water project. Additionally, in an email to WBYC, USBR stated that HPID had determined, in accordance with permit stipulations, that WBYC must pay for HPID’s contracted engineer, Performance Engineering and Consulting (PEC), to provide on-site inspections for the remainder of the water project construction within … Read rest of story here.