Billings Bench Water Association Canal

The Billings Bench Water Association Canal, also referred to as the Billings Canal, is an irrigation canal that starts at the Yellowstone River in Laurel, Montana, runs through Billings, Montana, under the Rims and ends at the Yellowstone River near Shepherd, Montana.

History and construction

The canal was completed in the early 1900s by the Billings Bench Water Association and the Highland Ditch company. In the 1970s, the Alkali Siphon of the canal began to leak and was replaced in 1978. In 1986, the beams that supported the tunnel for the canal underneath the Rims were replaced.

Today

Today, the BBWA system's water is largely used to irrigate agricultural fields totaling 18,000-acre (7,300 ha). The main canal also serves as the principal input for Lake Elmo in Billings,^[1] a 64-acre (26 ha) public reservoir that offers swimming, boating, paddle boarding, and fishing.^[2] This reservoir also supplies domestic water to a 113-home community north of Billings.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "Governor's Executive Budget Fiscal Years 2020 – 2021 Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program" (PDF). State of Montana. p. 83. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
^ "Lake Elmo State Park". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved 29 November 2023.

45°51′20″N 108°27′56″W / 45.85556°N 108.46556°W / 45.85556; -108.46556

[Budget-1] "Governor's Executive Budget Fiscal Years 2020 – 2021 Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program" (PDF). State of Montana. p. 83. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.

[MFWP-2] "Lake Elmo State Park". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved 29 November 2023.

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