Libby Dam Lookout - Libby, MT
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 48° 24.702 W 115° 19.253
11U E 624252 N 5363422
This is one of several viewing opportunities on the west side of Libby Dam and Lake Kookanusa.
Waymark Code: WMN0XC
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 12/04/2014
Views: 4
This viewpoint is at a pullout on Forestry Highway 228 as it passes Libby Dam. The pullout is directly above the Libby Dam Visitor Centre and a bit south of the dam itself. From this viewpoint one can get an appreciation of the size of the dam. One may see across the valley and down to the Kootenai River as it spills from the dam far below. Southward one sees the Kootenai River disappear in the distance while to the north Kootenai Lake also disappears in the distance.
Libby dam was originally conceived as a flood control dam to mitigate flooding downstream on the Kootenai River. Its reservoir, Lake Koocanusa, was named for the treaty formed among the Kootenai Indians and the Canadian and U.S. governments.
The 422 foot high, 3055 foot long concrete gravity dam was built and is operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The five generators in the powerhouse are capable of generating 600 Megawatts of electricity.
The dam is 17 miles north of Libby, MT on Highway 37.