Thompson Falls Dam


Thompson Falls Dam is a dam in Sanders County, Montana, in the northwestern part of the state.
A complex of four hydropower dams stand on the Clark Fork River in downtown Thompson [Falls, Montana]:
  • Main Channel Dam, high
  • Dry Channel Dam, high
  • Intake Dam A, high
  • Intake Dam B, high
Operations here began in 1915 with original construction on a set of natural falls. Today, the four dams together impound an upstream reservoir, with a water storage capacity of, and a seven-unit hydroelectric generation capacity of 94 megawatts.
Montana Power Company originally built the dam, PPL Corporation purchased it in 1997 and sold it to NorthWestern Corporation in 2014. The island between the dams contains a public park with hiking trails, picnic tables, and scenic overlooks. The site and adjacent buildings comprise the Thompson Falls [Hydroelectric Dam Historic District], on the National Register of Historic Places.