Hungry Horse news., 1955-08-26
Good for Montana

Encouraging factor for future Montana develop
ment of water resources is opening the Bureau of
Reclamation planning office at Mssoula next month
Heading this office will be Marc Hilden who
ceived valuable experience working at Fort Peck Dam
before leaving to receive an engineering degree at
Montana State College. Then following Navy service
he with the KalSpel planning office OF the Bureau
of Reclamation before going to become an execu-
tive engineer in construction Of Hungry Horse Dam.
Hidden has excellent Montana background and
the he reports to, Charles Hazen of the Spokane
planning office, is likewise well acquainted with Mon
tana having been in charge of the Kaspell planning
office that was discontinued about five years ago.
Official announcement the new Missoula Of
flee came Tuesday from Bureau OF Reclamation Com
missioner, w. A. Dexheimer who said that $63,7OO
had been made available for studies in the Clark Fork
basin of Idaho and Montana.
Here in the Flathead we have become well aware
of the benefits of major dams Harvesting water that
previously flowed unused to the There were about
1900 900 hours of employment in Montana build
ing Hungry Horse Dam followed by about 100000
man hours erecting aluminium plant that now will
provide $50 steady jobs.
This does not take into account the jobs that come
from downstream benefits Of Hungry Horse, whose
waters are released after downstream power dam res
ervoirs are depleted. Cabinet Gorge and the new Nox
on Rapids Dam well as Grand Coplee and the 9TH
ers benefit from upstream storage.
Montana realizes that water is one OF its great
resources and that hydroelectric power creates jobs
for Montanans.
The controversial Glacier View Dam which would
hold back waters of the Flatheads North Fork has
had the benefit of u S. Army Corps of Engineers field
studies and artist sketches of the proposed project
have been printed by the Hungry Horse News as
well as by other papers. The project to us does not
seem any nearer fulfilment today than was seven
and eight years ago. There may be more local sup
port but on the other hand the National Admnlstra-
ton represented by Secretary Of Interior Douglas Nc
KAY has come out against Glacier View. Opposition on
a national scale is stronger now.
would seem that under the circumstances the
Flathead should show considerable interest in pro-
posed development of the Flathead's Middle Fork.
We understand that the new Missoula Bureau OF
Reclamation planning office will make series OF
studies on the proposed diversion which would take
flood waters only" of the Flathead's Middle Fork
through tunnel about seven miles long into Hun
cry Horse reservoir. One outdaed and likely too low
an estimate is that the diversion dam and tunnel would
cost about $30,OO0.000.
There are four proposed sites for the diversion dam
and tunnel Least controversial and possibly most prac-
teal appears to be the Spruce Park site five miles
above u S. highway No. where $50 foot high dam
would hold 100000 acre feet and have $1,000 foot
long tunnel into Hungry Horse reservoir. Please see
Jan. Il, 1855 Hungry Horse News for description of
tentative dam sites.
The National Park Service does not oppose the