Montana canal pipe splits open, flooding area and threatening local farming industry, 1 city's water

Two century-old steel pipes that help convey water from a river on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to a river that helps irrigate northern Montana cropland have failed, causing local flooding and raising concerns about the availability of drinking water for 14,000 residents in the city of Havre later this summer. The first pipe split Monday morning, causing washouts that destabilized a parallel pipe, which failed Monday afternoon. Staff closed the headgates that diverted the St. Mary River water into a 9-mile long canal. The water was down to a trickle by Tuesday afternoon. The economic effects of the broken pipes will depend on how long its takes crews to restore the flow of water.