Toston Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toston Dam |
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|---|---|
| Official name | Toston Dam |
| Location | Broadwater County, Montana, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 46°07′11″N 111°24′30″W / 46.11972°N 111.40833°W |
| Opening date | 1940 |
| Operator(s) | Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Missouri River |
| Height | 56 feet (17 m) |
| Length | 705 feet (215 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Toston Reservoir |
The Toston Dam is a large structure on the Missouri River in Montana, USA. It's a special type of gravity dam that helps make electricity. This dam is 705 feet (215 m) long and 56 feet (17 m) tall. It can create 10 megawatts of power. Toston Dam is known as a "run-of-the-river" dam. This means it can make electricity using the natural flow of the river. It does not need to hold back a huge amount of water.
Building the Dam
The Toston Dam gets its name from the nearby town of Toston, Montana. This town is only about 6 miles (9.7 km) away. People first thought about building a dam here in 1935. That first plan was for a much bigger dam and was never built.
Later, in 1938, a smaller dam was planned. The state of Montana asked the government for money to help build it. They received a lot of help, getting $820,000 for the project. At that time, it was one of the most expensive water projects in Montana.
Workers built the dam on a natural rock ridge that crossed the Missouri River. This spot was about 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream from a place called Big Spring. They also built a special gate upstream from the dam. This gate connected to a long, underground pipe. The pipe carried water to an irrigation canal that went east. Another ditch sent water west for more irrigation.
To make way for the new Toston Reservoir, about 3 miles (4.8 km) of Northern Pacific Railroad tracks had to be moved. They were also raised higher so they would not be covered by water. The dam was finished in 1940.
How the Dam Works
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) owns and runs the Toston Dam. The dam has special rubber "flashboards" on top. These can be filled with air to make the dam a little taller. This helps hold back more water when needed. The Toston Reservoir behind the dam can store about 3,000 acre-feet (3,700,000 m3) of water. This water helps irrigate, or water, about 23,600 acres (9,600 ha) of farmland.
When it was first built, Toston Dam did not make electricity. But in 1979, the state decided to add power generators. The DNRC installed these generators to earn money. This money helps pay for other important projects around the state. The power plant started working in 1989.
Today, Toston Dam makes about $900,000 each year. This money helps the DNRC take care of other state projects. These projects include places for fun, irrigation systems, and ways to control floods.
The dam has had some big updates over the years. In 1989, a $26 million project added the power plant and the inflatable flashboards. It also improved the roads for maintenance. In 2002, the state spent $450,000 to add automatic "rakes." These rakes clean away trash and debris from the dam. This stops damage and keeps the power plant running smoothly. In 2005, a bridge was built over the dam. This bridge helps workers reach all parts of the dam. It also lets people get to the east side of the river.
Environmental Concerns
Toston Dam faces some challenges from unwanted plants and animals. In 2009, officials warned that northern pike fish had gotten into the reservoir. These pike are aggressive fish that eat trout and other fish that people like to catch. To protect the trout, the state later allowed people to catch as many northern pike as they wanted. By 2011, the pike problem was so big that the state made an even bigger plan to remove them.
In 2010, officials also found an invasive plant called milfoil in Toston Reservoir. Milfoil is a very serious problem plant in Montana. It can harm the environment and other plants in the water.
