Bitterroot National Forest

1801 N. 1st Street, Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 363-7100

NEWS RELEASE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tod McKay
Public Affairs Officer
(406) 363-7122
(406) 531-1130 - CELL
August 13, 2010

FOREST RECEIVES REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS ON DAM

Hamilton, MT. – The Canyon Lake Dam, located in the Darby Ranger District approximately 8 miles west of
Hamilton is in need of emergency repairs, according to the Canyon Creek Irrigation District (CCID). The dam
is located just inside the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area at the head of Canyon Creek. Failure of the dam
could cause loss of life and property. The Canyon Creek Irrigation District, which owns the dam, has consulted
with and informed the Forest Service of its urgent need to complete repairs prior to the onset of winter and next
spring’s snowmelt.

“The work is an emergency repair of a sinkhole that developed this year and the intent is to repair the root cause
of the problem to prevent a reoccurrence,” said Brian R. Bachman, Commissioner, Canyon Creek Irrigation
District. “The elevation of the dam requires that work be completed in early fall.”

The sinkhole in the embankment of the dam was discovered on June 30th during a routine maintenance check.
The Irrigation District was notified of the problem by Hydrometrics, Inc., a professional engineering firm that
assists in the operation and maintenance of the dam. According to Hydrometrics, the sinkhole developed just
north of the emergency spillway wall and has eroded away a significant amount of dam embankment.

The Bitterroot National Forest is initiating an environmental analysis on the emergency repairs. The analysis
will determine routes and modes of travel that will have the least-lasting impact on the wilderness while at the
same time allowing CCID the access it needs to complete emergency repairs to make the dam safe and protect
the National Forest.

To complete repairs, the Irrigation District proposes to use helicopters to transport the needed equipment and
supplies to the site, including a piece of motorized equipment. Repairs are estimated to take 3-4 days.

“It’s important that we address the problem this fall,” said Michael Oelrich, Civil Engineer, Hydrometrics.
“The principal spillway at Canyon Lake Dam is prone to blockage by ice and snow, which can limit its capacity
during a high run-off spring. If this emergency repair is delayed, we can give no guarantee that we can prevent
the reservoir level from reaching the sinkhole elevation next spring.”
Public comments on this proposal are invited and encouraged. No decision has been made yet. Comments
should be mailed to Chuck Oliver, District Ranger, Darby Ranger District, Bitterroot National Forest, 712 Main,
Darby, MT 59829, telephone (406) 821-3913, or FAX (406) 821-4264. Comments or expression of interest for
this proposed project must be postmarked or received within 30 days.

The Darby Ranger District office is open from 8 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday for those who wish to
submit hand-delivered comments. Electronic comments may be sent to comments-northern-bitterroot-
darby@fs.fed.us Acceptable electronic formats include e-mail (i.e. ASCII text or html) and MSWord.
Comments should include: 1) name, address, phone number, and organization represented, if any; 2) title of
project on which the comments are being submitted; and 3) specific facts and supporting information for the
responsible official, the Forest Supervisor, to consider.

The names and addresses of people submitting comments will be included as part of the public record. If you
would like to be put on the mailing list, or would like more information, please call Elizabeth Ballard, Team
Leader, at the Stevensville Ranger District at (406) 777-5461. For information on past, similar projects
concerning maintenance of dams in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area, visit
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot/projects/dam_monitoring_backup.shtml.

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