About the Project

Rattlesnake Dam, located near Missoula, Montana, was built in 1924 to provide water supply to the City of Missoula. The dam suffered damage in 1998 and ceased to serve any function by 2011. The structure blocks Rattlesnake Creek, a tributary to the Clark Fork River that provides important spawning and rearing habitat for federally listed bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Former fishing encampments of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes evidence a historical abundance of trout at the confluence of Rattlesnake Creek and the Clark Fork River.

Removal of the Rattlesnake Dam in August 2020 reconnects the 26 mile-long main stem Rattlesnake Creek from its headwaters in the Rattlesnake Wilderness to the Clark Fork River in downtown Missoula, opening about 31.5 miles of main stem and tributary habitat which made this dam removal a high priority for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Forest Service. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes also supported this habitat restoration and climate adaptation project.

Partners working on the project consider the Rattlesnake Dam removal as part of a broader effort to reestablish complete fish passage from the Clark Fork River to the Rattlesnake Wilderness, providing access to spawning and juvenile habitat. Removal of the dam also resolves the City’s liability concerns about the decaying structure.