Hungry Horse news. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1948-current, 1955-01-21
Urges Middle Fork Diversion Study

N'ASAS ~ASNsA ~ POWCA GIN OCteA
roads were considered keys to tha
Flathead's future prosperity ut
Columbia Falls Chamber of Com
merce Wednesday evening meet
ing. The power project recon-
mended for futher investigation
was Middle Fork diversion plans.
The road development discus
sed was up the Flathead rivers
North Fork providing a loop high
way for Glacier and Waterton Ma
tional Parks. This would further
the flow of vacationers
into the Flathead. See adjacent
story and editorial and stories on
page 2.
AUGMENT HUNGRY HORSE
Power development project con-
sidered the most feasible means tor
the Flathead to increase it's water
storage and power output was div
ersion of flood waters of the Flat
head rivers Middle Fork into
Hungry Horse reservoir.
The chamber is sending its rec
concentrations on Middle Fork
diversion to Senators Mike Mans
field and James E. Murray and to
Congressman Lee Metcalf OF the
western Montana district.
TIMBER CUT AT PEAK
Discussed at the Columbia Falls
chamber meeting was the fact that
the Flathead National Forest rec
ord timber cut for 1854 was co.
GAL 900 board feet compared to a
figure of 100000 feet that the
forest can produce year after year.
Salvage of spruce bark beetle in
tested timber is resulting in Flat
head timber harvesting being at
a peak. The timber industry is not
viewed as likely to employ any
more men than it does at present.
Increased output of electrical
power in the Flathead is believed
the answer to attracting more
industry and even maintaining the
present employment level.
Diversion of the Flathad rivers
Middle Fork flood waters into
Hungry Horse reservoir would IN
crease power production at the big
Montana dam by about one third
it was thought at the Wednesday
meeting.
n. n. RESERVOIR FULL
Hungry Horse reservoir was full
from July 9 until Dec. s last year,
and 3,468,000 acre feet was stored.
A Middle Fork diversion dam
would store an additional 350,O00
to 100000 acre feet that could
| be used to turn existing generators
at Hungry Horse.
L One estimate of the cost of the
whole project is $3O,0OO,OO0.
| Two practical Middle Fork. dam
] sites are above where the river be-
comes the boundary for Glacier
National Park. A result is that the
Park Service does not oppose Mid
| die Fork diversion at the higher
locations.
| Clyde H. Spencer, when Hungry
Horse project construction engi-
| neer, prepared an outline of the
Middle Fork diversion plans.
SPRUCE PARK DAM
/ The four sites are as follows:
Spruce park about five miles above
| U. S. highway No. 2 at Bear creek.
Here a $50 foot high earth dam
could be built storing 400, 900 acre
feet of water. A $4,000 foot long
| tunnel would come out into Hun
cry Horse reservoir at Devils
Corkscrew creek with a $50 foot
drop. This drop could be utilized
to produce as much as $4,000 kilo-
watts of firm power if a small
, powerplant was built near the tun-
, mel outlet.
OR JAVA DAM
Next possible dam site on the
Middle Fork would be at Java just
below the mouth of Bear creek. A
$40 foot high earth dam would
store 100000 acre feet. A 49,00t
foot long diversion tunnel woulc
S come out at a good power site be-
! tween Paint and Logan creeks
|, About 800 foot power head woule
be available from the tunnel.
l The other two Middle Fork div
: ersion dam sites are more contro.
D versial since they would involv,
flooding Glacier National parl
land, relocation of u. S. highwa,
No. and the Great Northern mail
:, line.
r OR NEAR WALTON
d The proposed dam near Walton
ranger station would be $50 fee
high, built of earth and storms
Il 100000 acre feet of water. A A,
d 900 foot long tunnel would tax
water through to Canyon creek o.
. Hungry Horse reservoir and hav
300 foot, drop.
: The Rampage dam site five mile
t; below Essex calls for a 200 foe
h earth dam that would store 157,
# 900 acre feet, and have a 47,00
foot long tunnel carrying water in
to Riverside creek on Hungr
Ii Horse reservoir.
i Kalispell Planning office of th
h Bureau of Reclamation, now con
please turn to page ~