About the Project

The Clark Fork River winds through western Montana and Idaho before draining into the Columbia River. It provides abundant recreational, economic, and cultural resources, as well as vital habitat and migration corridors for fish and wildlife, including westslope cutthroat trout, bull trout, and sculpin. It is also home to the nation’s largest Superfund site, a legacy of the copper mines and smelters in and around Butte, Montana. A massive flood in 1908 deposited millions of tons of metal-laced tailings along 120 miles of floodplain, with devastating and lasting impacts to stream life. The cleanup has progressed enough to sustain fish populations, but dams in the Upper Clark Fork present additional obstacles to restoration.

The Clark Fork Coalition and Trout Unlimited are removing and modernizing eight of the most problematic irrigation dams on the mainstem river between Warm Springs and Deer Lodge, Montana. These efforts will restore streamflow for fish, improve irrigation infrastructure for landowners and water users, and address safety risks to waders and boaters. Most dam owners are on board, due largely because maintenance costs are rising for their aging structures. Where feasible, they will introduce water efficiency measures. Mining-related remediation funds are expected to cover a significant amount of the construction costs to remove or modernize the diversion dams once designs are finalized and landowner agreements are secured.