Dams That Never Were

[Wildabeest]

And real big dam that failed a few years ago.
Glacial Lake Missoula and the Ice Age Floods

It’s crazy to think how much of the west was under water at one point. Ran across this sign when doing some exploring in WY last weekend. Oyster Ridge sits at ~8000’ elevation, and gets its name from the massive oyster beds that were once there (and a intact shells still there).

 

[diamond hitch]

As well as lake Agassiz in North Dakota. A damming of the Red river about 12,300 years ago. The reason for the rich farming along the Red. Similar lake for similar reasons as lake missoula.

 

[Nameless Range]

I know this thread is Dams That Never Were, but here's a few of the dams that were. The yellow parcels are references so the images can be compared side by side.



The Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir - 1955 to today. A 91 foot high dam was built in 1958, creating the reservoir.

Something I find interesting about it is below Canyon Ferry Dam, water from the Missouri River is lifted up the mountain and into a 2.7 mile long tunnel by turbines. In this tunnel, gravity takes the water under the Spokane Hills and into the Helena Valley Canal. The canal then takes that water to the Regulating Reservoir - about 980 acres in size. It has 6 miles of shoreline.

The Water Rights Specialist who originally drew on the map had some interesting annotation. Just looking at that one image, it doesn't look like a particularly good spot for a lake.




Yellowtail Dam - 1944 vs Present Day

Built on the Bighorn River in 1965, it turned a chunk of muddy river into 71 mile long Bighorn Lake. It's 525 feet tall - the largest in the Missouri River Basin.

Spitefully, and in defiance of his protests, the government named the dam after one of its most vocal opponents - Robert Yellowtail.





Beaver Creek Reservoir - 1960 vs Present Day.

The dam is owned by Hill County, was built in 1974 under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, and is 108 feet tall. Looks like a little chunk of good-looking creek bottom was flooded in its making.

 

[BluegrassBilly]

The most spectacular outdoor recreation spot in Kentucky was nearly impounded, but was saved with the help of SCOTUS Justice Douglas and Wendell Berry. https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/tom-eblen/article185173423.html

 

[theat]

Nameless, Thanks for starting this thread and sharing the maps that you have made. As someone that enjoys my time on rivers even more than I do hunting in the mountains, this is something that is very important to me.

There is a little known river in my part of the world that has an excellent whitewater run and great fishing. One of the more interesting "rapids" on the stretch is a maneuver around a blown out dam. The dam was built in 1924 as part of a mining operation. The dam didn't even make it for one year, when it blew out during high water the following spring. I have had some great days on the water on this river. If this dam hadn't failed, myself and many others would never have the opportunity to experience this incredible river corridor.

This stretch would be underwater if the dam was still functioning.


The far side of the dam collapsed due to the anchors in the rock wall breaking free.



If you didn't already scout the dam, it would be pretty disconcerting seeing this ahead of you in the river. Some of the concrete below the water level has eroded enough that there is a dangerous sieve created by the remaining rebar. Make every effort to not have swimmers in the water above the dam.

 

[diamond hitch]

How about the Montana Power dam in Pattengail creek that failed and bankrupted the mining company and wiped out the narrow gage railroad in the lower Bighole.

 

[Nameless Range]

In the 1960's, in the name of flood control and hydroelectricity, a 365 ft dam was proposed where Cow Creek flows into the Missouri River from the north, just 20 or so miles above Fred Robinson Bridge.

It would have flooded the Missouri Breaks, the White Cliffs, and created a 94,000 acre lake all the way to Fort Benton. Montana's governor opposed it, and in 1975 the Missouri River from Fort Benton to Fred Robinson Bridge was added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

This polygon assumes the water level would have been 40ft below the top of the dam, which I think is fairly accurate.

 

[BWALKER77]

For guys interested in this subject the book Cadillac Desert is worth a read.

 

[Sytes]

94,000 acre lake all the way to Fort Benton

But think of the crappie and walleye fishing potential!?!? Add some smallies and what's not to like?

That is amazingly hard core -crazy pucker factor material Travis! WOW! Especially that huge structure and the rebar you mentioned? No thanks. Great pics! Amazing!

 

[Nameless Range]

In the late 1950's, The Corps of Engineers proposed damming the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in the name of flood control at Spruce Park. It would've been a 350 ft dam creating a 2,100 acre reservoir on what is now one of America's Wild and Scenic Rivers.

 

[Nameless Range]

Last one.

Fort Benton Reservoir: In 1963 the Corps of Engineers proposed a hydroelectric dam just upstream from Fort Benton. It would have been 192 feet tall and created a 30-mile-long 7,200 acre lake stretching nearly all the way to Giant Springs.

Lotta great hunting country and wildlife habitat buried under these lakes that never were.

 

[rtraverdavis]

This is really cool stuff you're posting Nameless. Thanks for doing it.

 

[Bullshot]

Here’s a good one from the east side.

Tocks Island Dam Controversy - Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[WyoDoug]

Sad to say, some of these may come back if we let our guard down. As development continues and the demand for water increases, so will pressure to build more dams. The people bidding for the water are not the ones affected when the dam gets built. One example is Cheyenne draws its water out of Rob Roy Reservoir. However, that is not where Cheyenne's water rights are. There is a complex agreement whereby Cheyenne gives up so many acre feet of water in their water rights for what they actually draw from Rob Roy. California draws a huge amount from the Colorado River I think, need to check that. But most of the people who would use the water from dam projects are not the locals and wildlife affected by their construction.

 

[Nameless Range]

Looks like this was turned loose to the public.

Montana’s Legacy of River Protection

Six Dams That Were Never Built

storymaps.arcgis.com

The data used in the maps above in this thread was used in this story map. @Ben Long had the idea for this, and Jessy Stevenson, with American Rivers, and others, did a very nice job on it.

It isn't particularly mobile friendly.

 

[Ben Long]

This is great! Happy to see.

 

[HighCountryCommando]

Elk Creek Partial Dam: Here is the story of a dam that kind of sort of was and wasn’t a dam. It sure the heck was a huge mistake and a huge waste of money.

Elk Creek Dam a boondoggle from the start – Crescent City Times.com

crescentcitytimes.com

 

[eshunt]

Some cool stuff here! I am an avid whitewater boater as well as a water engineer. Dams have been a crucial yet controversial part of our history. I am headed to Utah in a few weeks to float the Green River through Desolation and Grays Canyons. Back in 1911 there was a proposal to build a dam just upstream of the town of Green River and flood these two canyons. It was proposed near where Coal Creek flows into the Green. I'm thankful that it was not constructed and today we get to experience floating through the river canyons.

 

[eshunt]

Nameless, Thanks for starting this thread and sharing the maps that you have made. As someone that enjoys my time on rivers even more than I do hunting in the mountains, this is something that is very important to me.

There is a little known river in my part of the world that has an excellent whitewater run and great fishing. One of the more interesting "rapids" on the stretch is a maneuver around a blown out dam. The dam was built in 1924 as part of a mining operation. The dam didn't even make it for one year, when it blew out during high water the following spring. I have had some great days on the water on this river. If this dam hadn't failed, myself and many others would never have the opportunity to experience this incredible river corridor.

This stretch would be underwater if the dam was still functioning.
View attachment 146738

The far side of the dam collapsed due to the anchors in the rock wall breaking free.
View attachment 146737


If you didn't already scout the dam, it would be pretty disconcerting seeing this ahead of you in the river. Some of the concrete below the water level has eroded enough that there is a dangerous sieve created by the remaining rebar. Make every effort to not have swimmers in the water above the dam.
View attachment 146739

Wow! That is pretty crazy! I have ran a number of failed smaller diversion dams, but never one like this. What's the opposite of seeing a "horizon line"?? Hahaha.

So many of the rivers that we get to run all summer long are due to releases from dams upstream. But I can only imaging the miles and miles of rivers that we have lost due to dams as well.

 

[BrentD]

Some cool stuff here! I am an avid whitewater boater as well as a water engineer. Dams have been a crucial yet controversial part of our history. I am headed to Utah in a few weeks to float the Green River through Desolation and Grays Canyons. Back in 1911 there was a proposal to build a dam just upstream of the town of Green River and flood these two canyons. It was proposed near where Coal Creek flows into the Green. I'm thankful that it was not constructed and today we get to experience floating through the river canyons.

I too am thankful for that as I canoed that stretch down to the Confluence on what my wife loves to call "The Honeymoon from Hell". It was grand!