Toston Dam
Encyclopedia
Toston Dam is a hydroelectric
gravity dam
located on the Missouri River
in Broadwater County, Montana
. The dam is 705 feet (214.9 m) long and 56 feet (17.1 m) high, and generates 10 megawatts
of power. The dam is a "run-of-the-river" dam
because it can generate electricity without needing to store additional water supplies behind the dam.
, which is just 6 miles (9.7 km) away. A $1.12 million dam was originally proposed in 1935. This project never was built. A smaller dam, whose construction would cost $900,000, was proposed in 1938, and the Montana State Water Conservation Board sought Public Works Administration
funds to help construct the dam. This effort proved successful, and the federal agency gave the state $820,000 to build the dam. The project was the second-most-expensive hydro effort in the state at the time (only the Tongue River Dam, which cost $1.2 million, was larger).
The dam was built on a natural ridge of rock which ran perpendicular to the Missouri River on a point about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) above Big Spring. An inlet gate was built slightly upstream of the dam which connected to an underground 900 feet (274.3 m) pipeline that exited the ground downstream and connected to an irrigation canal running eastward. A ditch diverted water on the west down a canal for more irrigation purposes. About 3 miles (4.8 km) of Northern Pacific Railroad track was moved and raised to prevent it from being inundated by the Toston Reservoir.
The dam was completed 1940.
Toston Dam originally did not generate power. But in 1979, the Montana state legislature passed a bill which would have allowed a state rural electrical cooperative to install generators at the dam. Governor Thomas Judge veoted the bill, and the DNRC installed the generators instead. The agency's sole purpose was to generate revenues which it could then use to fund other projects throughout the state. Despite opposition, the agency went ahead in Decembeer 1982 with its $23 million plan to install a 10 MW generating plant. But the power plant did not go online until 1989.
Toston Dam generates approximately $900,000 a year in net revenues for the DNRC, which it uses to maintain other state-owned recreation, irrigation, and flood-control projects.
Major upgrades have occurred at Toston Dam in the past several years. A $26 million refurbishment in 1989 added the power plant, the inflatable flashboards, and improvements to maintenance and access roads. In 2002, the state spent $450,000 installing automatic "rakes" along the crest of the dam to clear debris. The rakes prevent damage to the dam, and helped to greatly reduce the number of times the power plant had to be shut down in order to clean the penstocks. In 2005, a bridge was built over the crest of the dam to give maintenance workers access to the dam face and to give the public access to the east side of the river.
(FWP) warned that the reservoir had been invaded by northern pike
which had escaped from private ponds upstream. Northern pike are an aggressive predatory fish which feed on trout and other species highly prized by fishermen. A year later, the state sought approval to remove the limit on daily catches of northern pike to protect several trout species, which had come under severe pressure from the pike. In April 2011, the pike problem became so severe that the FWP announced an even more aggressive plan to try to remove the predatory fish from Toston Reservoir and other upstream waters.
In 2010, FWP officials announced that non-native milfoil
had invaded Toston Reservoir and Fort Peck Dam Reservoir. Milfoil is classified by the state of Montana as a Priority 1B noxious weed, one of the highest priority invasive species.
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
gravity 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...
located on the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
in Broadwater County, Montana
Broadwater County, Montana
-Economy:Agriculture is one of the primary industries in Broadwater County. RY Timber and Wheat Montana Bakery were the largest private employers according to the 2000 Census.-Demographics:...
. The dam is 705 feet (214.9 m) long and 56 feet (17.1 m) high, and generates 10 megawatts
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
of power. The dam is a "run-of-the-river" dam
Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity
Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation whereby a considerably smaller water storage called pondage or none is used to supply a power station. Run-of-the-river power plants are classified as with or without pondage...
because it can generate electricity without needing to store additional water supplies behind the dam.
Construction
The dam is named after the town of Toston, MontanaToston, Montana
Toston is a census-designated place in Broadwater County, Montana, United States. The population was 105 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Toston is located at ....
, which is just 6 miles (9.7 km) away. A $1.12 million dam was originally proposed in 1935. This project never was built. A smaller dam, whose construction would cost $900,000, was proposed in 1938, and the Montana State Water Conservation Board sought Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
funds to help construct the dam. This effort proved successful, and the federal agency gave the state $820,000 to build the dam. The project was the second-most-expensive hydro effort in the state at the time (only the Tongue River Dam, which cost $1.2 million, was larger).
The dam was built on a natural ridge of rock which ran perpendicular to the Missouri River on a point about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) above Big Spring. An inlet gate was built slightly upstream of the dam which connected to an underground 900 feet (274.3 m) pipeline that exited the ground downstream and connected to an irrigation canal running eastward. A ditch diverted water on the west down a canal for more irrigation purposes. About 3 miles (4.8 km) of Northern Pacific Railroad track was moved and raised to prevent it from being inundated by the Toston Reservoir.
The dam was completed 1940.
Operation
Toston Dam is owned and operated by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). The dam includes inflatable Flashboards made of rubber at the crest of the dam, which can be used to raise the dam's height slightly (so that more water may be retained). Toston Reservoir, behind the dam, has a storage capacity of 3000 acre.ft of water. About 23600 acres (9,550.6 ha) of land are irrigated by the dam.Toston Dam originally did not generate power. But in 1979, the Montana state legislature passed a bill which would have allowed a state rural electrical cooperative to install generators at the dam. Governor Thomas Judge veoted the bill, and the DNRC installed the generators instead. The agency's sole purpose was to generate revenues which it could then use to fund other projects throughout the state. Despite opposition, the agency went ahead in Decembeer 1982 with its $23 million plan to install a 10 MW generating plant. But the power plant did not go online until 1989.
Toston Dam generates approximately $900,000 a year in net revenues for the DNRC, which it uses to maintain other state-owned recreation, irrigation, and flood-control projects.
Major upgrades have occurred at Toston Dam in the past several years. A $26 million refurbishment in 1989 added the power plant, the inflatable flashboards, and improvements to maintenance and access roads. In 2002, the state spent $450,000 installing automatic "rakes" along the crest of the dam to clear debris. The rakes prevent damage to the dam, and helped to greatly reduce the number of times the power plant had to be shut down in order to clean the penstocks. In 2005, a bridge was built over the crest of the dam to give maintenance workers access to the dam face and to give the public access to the east side of the river.
Conservation issues
Toston Dam is threatened with environmental degradation due to invasive species. In 2009, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and ParksMontana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is a government agency in the executive branch state of Montana in the United States with responsibility for protecting sustainable fish, wildlife, and state-owned park resources in Montana for the purpose of providing recreational activities...
(FWP) warned that the reservoir had been invaded by northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
which had escaped from private ponds upstream. Northern pike are an aggressive predatory fish which feed on trout and other species highly prized by fishermen. A year later, the state sought approval to remove the limit on daily catches of northern pike to protect several trout species, which had come under severe pressure from the pike. In April 2011, the pike problem became so severe that the FWP announced an even more aggressive plan to try to remove the predatory fish from Toston Reservoir and other upstream waters.
In 2010, FWP officials announced that non-native milfoil
Myriophyllum
Myriophyllum is a genus of about 69 species of freshwater aquatic plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The center of diversity for Myriophyllum is Australia with 43 recognized species...
had invaded Toston Reservoir and Fort Peck Dam Reservoir. Milfoil is classified by the state of Montana as a Priority 1B noxious weed, one of the highest priority invasive species.