Tiber Dam
Encyclopedia
Tiber Dam, located in southern Liberty County
in northern Montana
, USA, is a dam
on the Marias River
which forms Lake Elwell
, also known as Tiber Reservoir. Construction on the dam began in 1952 and it was complete in 1956. Between 1967 and 1969, a dyke was added to the southern rim of the reservoir near the dam due to difficulties with the spillway
settling. From 1976 to 1989, the spillway was rehabilitated.
The dam is an earth-fill type with a length of 4300 ft (1,311 m) and height of 211 ft (64 m). The dyke is 17000 ft (5,182 m) long and 60 ft (18 m) tall. The dam's main spillway
is controlled by three gates and has a maximum discharge of 68467 ft3/s. The dam's auxiliary spillway can release up to 5845 ft3/s and the outlet works
1605 ft3/s.
Liberty County, Montana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,158 people, 833 households, and 583 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 1,070 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
in northern Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, USA, is a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Marias River
Marias River
The Marias River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 210 mi long, in the U.S. state of Montana. It is formed in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Glacier County, in northwestern Montana, by the confluence of the Cut Bank Creek and the Two Medicine River...
which forms Lake Elwell
Lake Elwell
Lake Elwell is a lake in north central Montana. The reservoir was created by the damming of the Marias River at the Tiber Dam. Lake Elwell was named for Judge Charles B. Ewell , former director of the Montana Reclamation Association....
, also known as Tiber Reservoir. Construction on the dam began in 1952 and it was complete in 1956. Between 1967 and 1969, a dyke was added to the southern rim of the reservoir near the dam due to difficulties with the spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
settling. From 1976 to 1989, the spillway was rehabilitated.
The dam is an earth-fill type with a length of 4300 ft (1,311 m) and height of 211 ft (64 m). The dyke is 17000 ft (5,182 m) long and 60 ft (18 m) tall. The dam's main spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
is controlled by three gates and has a maximum discharge of 68467 ft3/s. The dam's auxiliary spillway can release up to 5845 ft3/s and the outlet works
Outlet works
A set of outlet works is a device used to release and regulate water flow from a dam. Such devices usually consist of one or more pipes or tunnels through the embankment of the dam, directing water usually under high pressure to the river downstream...
1605 ft3/s.