Libby Dam and Lake Koocanusa is well worth the trip. The roads are maintained during the non-winter months.
Libby Dam Visitor's Center has historical displays and information about the dam, wildlife, and recreation associated with the dam and reservoir. Its newly remodeled exhibit area, books and gifts sales area and auditorium featuring "The Power and Beauty of the Kootenai, the Story of Libby Dam".
Libby Dam Visitor Center is open from 9:30 am to 6 pm beginning Memorial Day weekend. The visitor parking area and boat ramp is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the summer. However, the top of the dam is closed to all traffic for security reasons.
If you are interested in taking a tour, you must check-in at the Visitor Center front desk at least 10 minutes prior to each tour time. Tours last approximately 1 1/2 hours and start from the Visitor Center.
Guided tours of the dam and powerhouse are from the Visitor Center at 10:00 am, noon, 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm during the summer season only.
Libby Dam
ThLibbye Kootenai River is the third largest tributary to the Columbia River. Seventeen miles upstream from the town of Libby, the 422-foot tall Libby Dam holds back 90 miles of water in Lake Koocanusa. Forty-eight miles of the reservoir lie within U.S. borders, the other 42 miles are in Canada. Visitors can enjoy boating, fishing, camping, water skiing, family picnics, hiking, cross-country skiing, wildlife viewing and more.
Libby Dam is architecturally one of the strongest and most massive types of dam built today. The dam is 422 feet tall and 3,055 feet long and was built to withstand an earthquake of up to 6.5 on the Richter scale with no structural damage.
Forty-seven monolithic sections make up the dam, each one designed to stand on its own like individual dams. If one section were to fail, the other 46 would remain standing. Seismic monitoring equipment carefully monitors the dam for movement and structural integrity through one of the most thorough instrumentation systems in the United States.
Recreation sites were built near the dam and at several locations along the lake edge. The sites at the dam are managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The other recreation sites are maintained by the US Forest Service. McGillivray Campground on the west side of the lake, has a boat dock, group picnic area, swimming area with sandy beach, and flush toilets.
Lake Koocanusa is home to a variety of fish species. Sport fish include rainbow trout, west slope cutthroat, brook trout, kokaneee salmon (blueback), burbot (ling), whitefish and Kamloops (a strain of rainbow trout). The lake has a maximum depth of 370 feet at full pool. A valid Montana fishing license is required to fish any Montana waters.
Lake Koocanusa received its name in a contest to name the reservoir behind the dam. Alice Beers, from Rexford, Montana, combined the first three letters from KOOtenai River, and the first three letters of CANada and USA.
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Libby, Montana