Project
Crow Dam Spillway
River or area
Crow Creek and Lower Crow Reservoir
Lower Crow Reservoir, west of Ronan
Program
Status
Completed
Now
Completed. After a controlled fill in 2023, the reservoir restriction in place since 2006 was lifted.
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Natural Resources Department
Division of Engineering & Water Resources
Project Overview
The Crow Dam Spillway Project consisted of two phases: Phase 1 of construction (Area 2) consisted of replacement of the badly deteriorated existing chute and stilling basin with a new chute, a flip bucket, and armored apron to dissipate the energy prior to discharging into Lower Crow Creek. The Phase 2 (Area 3) consisted of the replacement of the existing side-channel inlet structure and tunnel with a piano key weir spillway crest structure, sloped trough, channel crossing beneath Crow Dam Road that will tie into the new structures constructed in Area 2, and installation of a bridge at the Crow Dam Road crossing.
A controlled fill of Lower Crow Reservoir occurred in 2023 along with heightened monitoring to evaluate performance of the dam and new spillway. After review of the fill and monitoring performed and subsequent analysis, the dam safety risk was deemed to be lessened to a point where the reservoir restriction that was in place since 2006 could be lifted. CSKT Safety of Dams will continue with a standard monitoring program.
By year
Phases
2016 to 2018
Phase 1 design
Done
2018 to 2019
Phase 1 construction
Done
2020 to 2022
Phase 2 construction
Done
2023
Controlled fill and monitoring
Done
On site
Photographs
