Montana canal pipe splits open, flooding area and threatening local farming industry

BABB, Mont. (AP) — Montana state officials are working to stop flooding caused by the breakage of a century-old pipe used to deliver drinking water to 14,000 residents and carry irrigation water to farmers. No injuries or deaths have been reported since the pipe broke open Monday. But the failure has caused flooding in the rural area east of Glacier National Park near the U.S.-Canadian border. The gushing of water from the 90-inch diameter pipe caused some washouts 50 feet deep. The breach happened one month before a $100 million replacement project was set to begin on the pipe. The flooding already has caused property damage and road closures.