Lake Sherburne Dam | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Location | Glacier County, near Glacier National Park, Montana |
Coordinates | 48°49′42″N 113°31′17″W / 48.82833°N 113.52139°W |
Construction began | 1914 |
Opening date | 1921 |
Owner(s) | U.S. Bureau of Reclamation |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | Earth embankment |
Impounds | Swiftcurrent Creek |
Height | 116.5 ft (35.5 m) |
Length | 1,224 ft (373 m) |
Width (crest) | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
Width (base) | 460 ft (140 m) |
Dam volume | 242,000 cu yd (185,000 m3) |
Spillways | One morning glory type, uncontrolled |
Spillway capacity | 2,100 cu ft/s (59 m3/s) |
Reservoir | |
Creates | Lake Sherburne |
Total capacity | 64,793 acre⋅ft (79,921,000 m3) |
Power Station | |
Hydraulic head | 99 ft (30 m) |
Lake Sherburne Dam is a 107-foot (33 m) high compacted earthfill dam built between 1914 and 1921, just outside the boundary of Glacier National Park, Montana, its reservoir extending into the park. The dam impounds Swiftcurrent Creek as it flows out of the park.[1] Water stored in Lake Sherburne is released to flow down Swiftcurrent Creek to the St. Mary River, from which it is diverted to the Milk River, flowing through Canada for 216 mi (348 km) before returning to the United States. Use of these waters is governed by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. Water from the Milk River is used for irrigation in north central Montana.[2]