Libby Dam And Lake Koocanusa

Libby Dam spans the Kootenai River, in the northwestern corner of Montana. Libby Dam is 422 feet tall and 3,055 feet long. Lake Koocanusa (Koo for Kootenai, Can for Canada, and USA) is 90 miles long. Forty two miles of Lake Koocanusa extends into British Columbia, Canada. Libby Dam and 3 dams in Canada were built as the result of an international treaty. Libby Dam is a "straight-axis, concrete gravity" structure solidly anchored in bedrock. The 7.6 million tons of concrete in the dam is enough to build a 2-lane highway form Libby, MT to Washington, D.C. (2,290 miles). Libby Dam was built to provide flood control for the Kootenai and lower Columbia Rivers, as well as to meet increasing demands for hydroelectric power. The Kootenai is the 3rd largest tributary to the Columbia River, contributing 20% of the total water. Libby Dam, Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River were designated Watchable Wildlife viewing sites by the State of Montana, in 1989. They also has proclaimed the Kootenai River a Blue Ribbon Trout stream.

17 mi N of Libby on MT 37