Milk River Consumptive Use Study - 2015

Estimates of consumptive use and evaporative losses are an important component of the computation of the natural flow of the Milk River and apportionment of Milk River water between the U.S. and Canada. The most current estimates of consumption were developed R. E. Thompson in a 1986 USGS report but the irrigation in the basin has changed significantly in some areas since these estimates were published. As well, more advanced methods are now available to estimate consumptive use as well as evaporative losses. The objective of the project is to update the assumptions used by Thompson (1986) and to assess alternate approaches, methods, and data sources required to determine consumptive use in the St Mary and Milk River watersheds in Canada and United States, including the Milk River watershed prior to entry into Canada and the Southern Tributaries to the Milk River. This project is also highlighted in our IWI projects StoryMap here.