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{{about|the dam in Montana|the dam in Virginia|John H. Kerr Dam}}
{{about|the dam formerly named Kerr in Montana|the dam in Virginia|John H. Kerr Dam}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox dam
{{Infobox dam
| name =Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’
| name =Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam
⚫
| name_official =Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’
⚫
| image =2011-06-07 17-17-11 996.jpg
| image_caption =Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’
| name_official =
| name_official =
⚫
| image =SQK Dam DSC 3657.jpg
⚫
| image_caption =Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam (2018)
| dam_crosses =[[Flathead River]]
| dam_crosses =[[Flathead River]]
| res_name =
| res_name =
| location = [[Flathead Indian Reservation]], [[Lake County, Montana|Lake County]], [[Montana|Montana, USA]]
| location = [[Flathead Indian Reservation]], [[Lake County, Montana]], U.S.
| operator =[[NorthWestern Energy]], [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes]]
| operator =[[Energy Keepers Inc.]], [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes]]
| dam_length = {{Convert|541|ft|abbr=on}}
| dam_length = {{Convert|751|ft|abbr=on}}
| dam_height = {{Convert|205|ft|abbr=on}}
| dam_height = {{Convert|205|ft|abbr=on}}
| dam_width_base =
| dam_width_base =
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| plant_commission = 1938-1954<ref>{{cite web|title=Clock ticking down to Kerr Dam's historic takeover by Indian tribes|url=http://missoulian.com/news/local/clock-ticking-down-to-kerr-dam-s-historic-takeover-by/article_5c1b0831-0209-5fdb-a3bf-4fd433be05e8.html|publisher=Missoulian|accessdate=21 May 2015|date=25 April 2015}}</ref>
| plant_commission = 1938-1954<ref>{{cite web|title=Clock ticking down to Kerr Dam's historic takeover by Indian tribes|url=http://missoulian.com/news/local/clock-ticking-down-to-kerr-dam-s-historic-takeover-by/article_5c1b0831-0209-5fdb-a3bf-4fd433be05e8.html|publisher=Missoulian|accessdate=21 May 2015|date=25 April 2015}}</ref>
| plant_turbines =3 units
| plant_turbines =3 units
| plant_capacity = 194 [[megawatt|MW]]<ref>{{cite web|title=NorthWest Hydro Acquisition|url=http://www.nwhydro.org/events_committees/Docs/2015_Annual_Conference_Presentations/05-WedMorn/2-Stimatz.pdf|publisher=NorthWest Energy|accessdate=21 May 2015|page=3}}</ref>
| plant_capacity = 208 [[megawatt|MW]]<ref>{{cite web|title=NorthWest Hydro Acquisition|url=http://www.nwhydro.org/events_committees/Docs/2015_Annual_Conference_Presentations/05-WedMorn/2-Stimatz.pdf|publisher=NorthWest Energy|accessdate=21 May 2015|page=3}}</ref>
| plant_annual_gen = 1,100,000,000 [[KWh]] annually
| plant_annual_gen = 1,100 [[GWh]] annually
}}
}}
The '''Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam''', also known as '''SKQ Dam''', (formerly known as the '''Kerr Dam''') is a [[concrete]] gravity-arch [[dam]] located at [[river mile]] 72 of the [[Flathead River]] (116 river kilometer). Built in 1938, it raises the level and increases the size of [[Flathead Lake]] near [[Polson, Montana]]. The dam was designed to generate [[hydroelectricity]] but also serves recreational and irrigation uses.
The '''Kerr Dam''', officially known as the '''Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’''' ([[Kutenai language|Ktunaxa]]: ''ʔa·kniǂk̓aʔnuk'' <ref>{{Cite web
| title = FirstVoices: Nature / Environment - place names: words. Ktunaxa.
| accessdate = 2012-07-07
| url = http://www.firstvoices.com/en/Ktunaxa/word-category/1f2fd0f8542dbe9f/--Nature--Environment---place-names
}}</ref>), is a [[concrete]] gravity-arch [[dam]] located at [[river mile]] 72 of the [[Flathead River]], increasing the size of [[Flathead Lake]] near [[Polson, Montana]]. The dam was designed for [[hydroelectricity]] but also serves recreational uses. The dam was originally named after Frank Kerr, president of the [[Montana Power Company]] at the time of the dam's completion in 1938;<ref>[http://www.pplmontana.com/producing+power/power+plants/Kerr+Dam.htm Kerr Dam, PPL Montana]</ref> however, during the [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe]]'s celebration of their acquisition of the dam on September 5, 2015, the Tribal Council announced that the dam's name would henceforth be changed to reflect its new ownership.<ref>Streamed live at http://www.skc.edu/.</ref>


The dam was originally named after Frank Kerr, president of the [[Montana Power Company]], which undertook the construction, with federal assistance during the [[Great Depression]]. The construction provided numerous jobs at a critical time. The dam is located within the [[Flathead Indian Reservation]], and the [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes]] operated it jointly with successive electric companies. In 2015 the tribes and their energy company completed purchase of the dam. On September 5, 2015, during the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' celebration of their acquisition of the dam, the Tribal Council announced renaming the complex to reflect the three confederated tribes.<ref>[http://www.skc.edu/ "Tribal council announces new name for dam"], Streamed live by Salish Kootenai College, 5 September 2015.</ref>
==Construction==
⚫
[[Image:Kerr Dam.jpg|thumb|120px|left|Water flowing out of the Salish-Kootenai Dam out of only one of the several doors]]
In 1930, construction began on the dam by [[PacifiCorp|Rocky Mountain Power]]. A year later in 1931, a lack of funding from the [[Great Depression]] caused construction to halt. Montana State Treasurer James Brett went to Atlanta in 1934 to ask President Franklin Roosevelt for $5,000,000 to complete the dam. Knowing that the area was in desperate need of jobs, Roosevelt gave Brett the money and he came home to a hero's welcome. In 1936, the [[Montana Power Company]] restarted the project and completed it in 1938. The dam only raised [[Flathead Lake]] by 10 feet so it is not completely responsible for the reservoir. The dam's hydro [[power plant]] consists of three units that receive water from three different [[penstock]]s 1700 feet upstream.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.lakecodirect.com/archives/KERR_dam.html Kerr Dam Essay]</ref>


==Development==
==Joint operation and change of ownership==
⚫
[[Image:Kerr Dam.jpg|thumb|120px|left|Water flowing out of the Salish-Kootenai Dam through one of several gates]]
The dam project was initially privately undertaken by [[PacifiCorp|Rocky Mountain Power]] to generate hydroelectric power in the area; it started construction in 1930. With revenues declining because of the Great Depression, the company halted construction in 1931. Montana State Treasurer [[James Brett (treasurer)|James Brett]] went to a meeting in Atlanta in 1934 to ask President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] for $5,000,000 to complete the dam. Roosevelt approved the money for the project; this was in keeping with his support of the [[Works Progress Administration]] and [[Civilian Conservation Corps]], which provided jobs for infrastructure and public buildings across the country.

Brett returned to Montana and a hero's welcome. In 1936, the [[Montana Power Company]] restarted the project and completed it in 1938. In March 1937 Senators [[Burton K. Wheeler]], [[Lynn Frazier]] and [[Robert La Follette]] blocked a bill that would have denied tribal ownership of the dam. "Senator Wheeler was always proud of the royalties he secured for the Flatheads".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wheeler |first=Burton Kendall |title=Yankee from the West |date=1977 |isbn=978-0-374-98405-2 |edition=Repr. of the ed. Garden City, N.Y., 1962 |location=New York |pages=315-318}}</ref>

⚫
In 2015, NorthWestern Energy acquired the power plant from [[PPL Corporation|PPL Montana, LLC]] (the successor to the [[Montana Power Company]]). On September 4, 2015, the [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT)]] paid $18.2 million to purchase the Kerr Hydroelectric Project from NorthWestern Energy.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://energykeepersinc.com/energy-keepers-inc-successfully-pays-conveyance-price-for-kerr-dam/|title = Energy Keepers, Inc., successfully pays conveyance price for Kerr Dam|date = 2015-09-04|accessdate = 2015-09-05|website = Energy Keepers, Inc.|publisher = |last = McDonald|first = Rob}}</ref> The tribally owned Energy Keepers, Inc (EKI) took ownership.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Energy Keepers, Inc |url=https://energykeepersinc.com/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> The tribes and EKI officially celebrated acquisition of the dam on September 5, 2015 with a ceremony held at [[Salish Kootenai College]]. They renamed the dam as [[Bitterroot Salish|Séliš]] [[Ktunaxa|Ksanka]] [[Kalispel|Ql’ispé]] Dam, reflecting the confederacy of tribes.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.charkoosta.com/2015/2015_08_27/We_are_ready-Kerr_Acquisition_Project.html|title = We are ready: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes prepare to assume control of Kerr Dam|date = 2015-08-27|accessdate =2015-09-05|website = Char-Koosta News|last = Lipbscomb|first = Brian}}</ref>

==Operation==
[[Image:KerrDam.jpg|thumb|120px|left|A rainbow forming over the Salish-Kootenai Dam in [[Montana]]]]
[[Image:KerrDam.jpg|thumb|120px|left|A rainbow forming over the Salish-Kootenai Dam in [[Montana]]]]
The dam and its related [[hydroelectric]] project are located inside the boundaries of the [[Flathead Indian Reservation]], and operated jointly by [[NorthWestern Energy]] and the [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes]]. Today, with an installed capacity of 194 MW, it provides both power—enough for about 147,000 homes—and over $9&nbsp;million in annual revenue for the tribes. NorthWestern Energy acquired the power plant from [[PPL (utility)|PPL Montana, LLC]] (the successor to the [[Montana Power Company]]) in 2015.


The dam raised the existing [[Flathead Lake]] by 10 feet, and enabled control of the lake's level to generate electricity and for irrigation and recreational uses. The dam's hydro [[power plant]] consists of three units that receive water from three different [[penstock]]s, located {{convert|865| feet}} upstream.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web |last1=Foust |first1=Justin |last2=Kruttoff |first2=Benett |title=Kerr Dam essay |url=http://www.lakecodirect.com/archives/KERR_dam.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=The Lake County Montana Directory}}</ref> In the early 21st century, with an installed capacity of 208 MW,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-12 |title=Panel to discuss Flathead Lake water management |url=https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2024/mar/12/panel-to-discuss-flathead-lake-water-management/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |work=Daily Inter Lake |language=en}}</ref> the dam provided enough power for about 147,000 homes and more than $9&nbsp;million in annual revenue for the tribes.
⚫
On September 4, 2015, the [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT)]] successfully paid the conveyance price of $18.2 million to purchase the Kerr Hydroelectric Project from NorthWestern Energy,<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://energykeepersinc.com/energy-keepers-inc-successfully-pays-conveyance-price-for-kerr-dam/|title = Energy Keepers, Inc., successfully pays conveyance price for Kerr Dam|date = 2015-09-04|accessdate = 2015-09-05|website = Energy Keepers, Inc.|publisher = |last = McDonald|first = Rob}}</ref> transferring its ownership to the tribally-owned [http://energykeepersinc.com/ Energy Keepers, Inc (EKI)]. CSKT and EKI officially celebrated their acquisition of the dam on September 5, 2015 with a ceremony held at [[Salish Kootenai College]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.charkoosta.com/2015/2015_08_27/We_are_ready-Kerr_Acquisition_Project.html|title = We are ready: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes prepare to assume control of Kerr Dam|date = 2015-08-27|accessdate =2015-09-05|website = Char-Koosta News|publisher = Char-Koosta News|last = Lipbscomb|first = Brian}}</ref>

The dam and its related [[hydroelectric]] project are located inside the boundaries of the [[Flathead Indian Reservation]].<ref>{{Cite report |date=May 2012 |title=McGregor Meadows Waterfowl Production Area Environmental Assessment |url=http://www.fws.gov/losttrail/McGregor_EA_Final_May_2012.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111141704/http://www.fws.gov/losttrail/McGregor_EA_Final_May_2012.pdf |archive-date=2012-11-11 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service }}</ref> They were operated jointly by [[NorthWestern Energy]] and the [[Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes]]. The tribally owned Energy Keepers, Inc (EKI) took over operations in 2015 upon the change in ownership.

[[File:Séliš Ksanka Ql’ispé Dam 2017.JPG|thumb|center|800px|[[Bitterroot Salish|Séliš]] [[Ktunaxa|Ksanka]] [[Kalispel|Ql’ispé]] Dam, formerly known as Kerr Dam, was completed in 1938. It dams the [[Flathead River]] a few miles below [[Flathead Lake]] southwest of Polson, Montana (2017)]]

During a historically dry summer of 2023, diminished inflows and required minimum downstream water flows resulted in record low water levels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heston |first=Kate |date=2024-02-08 |title=Energy Keepers acted appropriately in dealing with Flathead Lake's record low water levels, review finds |url=https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2024/feb/08/energy-keepers-acted-appropriately-while-dealing-with-flathead-lake-ferc-review-finds/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=Daily Inter Lake |language=en}}</ref>


== In literature ==
== In popular culture ==
The plot of the novel "Wind from an Enemy Sky" by [[D’Arcy McNickle]] is centered around the construction of the Salish-Kootenai Dam.<ref>{{Cite news
The plot of the novel ''Wind from an Enemy Sky'' by [[D’Arcy McNickle]] is centered around the construction of the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Vince Devlin
| last = Vince Devlin
| title = Film shares Arlee teacher's success at instilling tribal perspective
| title = Film shares Arlee teacher's success at instilling tribal perspective
Line 52: Line 59:
== See also ==
== See also ==
*[[List of dams in the Columbia River watershed]]
*[[List of dams in the Columbia River watershed]]
*[[Flathead Lake]]


==References==
==References==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Kerr Dam}}
{{Commons category|Kerr Dam}}
* [http://www.pplmontana.com/producing+power/power+plants/Kerr+Dam.htm Kerr Dam], PPL Montana


{{Coord|47|40|36|N|114|14|03|W|display=title}}
{{Coord|47|40|36|N|114|14|03|W|display=title}}
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[[Category:Dams in Montana]]
[[Category:Dams in Montana]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lake County, Montana]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lake County, Montana]]
[[Category:PPL Montana dams]]
[[Category:NorthWestern Corporation dams]]
[[Category:Dams completed in 1938]]
[[Category:Dams completed in 1938]]
[[Category:Dams on the Flathead River]]
[[Category:Dams on the Flathead River]]

Latest revision as of 06:12, 14 March 2024

This article is about the dam formerly named Kerr in Montana. For the dam in Virginia, see John H. Kerr Dam.

Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam
Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam (2018)
LocationFlathead Indian Reservation, Lake County, Montana, U.S.
Construction began1930
Opening date1938
Operator(s)Energy Keepers Inc., Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsFlathead River
Height205 ft (62 m)
Length751 ft (229 m)
Reservoir
Total capacity1,217,000 acre⋅ft (1.501 km3)
Catchment area8,587 sq mi (22,240 km2)
Surface area191.5 sq mi (496 km2)
Power Station
Commission date1938-1954[1]
Turbines3 units
Installed capacity208 MW[2]
Annual generation1,100 GWh annually

The Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam, also known as SKQ Dam, (formerly known as the Kerr Dam) is a concrete gravity-arch dam located at river mile 72 of the Flathead River (116 river kilometer). Built in 1938, it raises the level and increases the size of Flathead Lake near Polson, Montana. The dam was designed to generate hydroelectricity but also serves recreational and irrigation uses.

The dam was originally named after Frank Kerr, president of the Montana Power Company, which undertook the construction, with federal assistance during the Great Depression. The construction provided numerous jobs at a critical time. The dam is located within the Flathead Indian Reservation, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes operated it jointly with successive electric companies. In 2015 the tribes and their energy company completed purchase of the dam. On September 5, 2015, during the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' celebration of their acquisition of the dam, the Tribal Council announced renaming the complex to reflect the three confederated tribes.[3]

Development[edit]

Water flowing out of the Salish-Kootenai Dam through one of several gates

The dam project was initially privately undertaken by Rocky Mountain Power to generate hydroelectric power in the area; it started construction in 1930. With revenues declining because of the Great Depression, the company halted construction in 1931. Montana State Treasurer James Brett went to a meeting in Atlanta in 1934 to ask President Franklin D. Roosevelt for $5,000,000 to complete the dam. Roosevelt approved the money for the project; this was in keeping with his support of the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps, which provided jobs for infrastructure and public buildings across the country.

Brett returned to Montana and a hero's welcome. In 1936, the Montana Power Company restarted the project and completed it in 1938. In March 1937 Senators Burton K. Wheeler, Lynn Frazier and Robert La Follette blocked a bill that would have denied tribal ownership of the dam. "Senator Wheeler was always proud of the royalties he secured for the Flatheads".[4]

In 2015, NorthWestern Energy acquired the power plant from PPL Montana, LLC (the successor to the Montana Power Company). On September 4, 2015, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) paid $18.2 million to purchase the Kerr Hydroelectric Project from NorthWestern Energy.[5] The tribally owned Energy Keepers, Inc (EKI) took ownership.[6] The tribes and EKI officially celebrated acquisition of the dam on September 5, 2015 with a ceremony held at Salish Kootenai College. They renamed the dam as Séliš Ksanka Ql’ispé Dam, reflecting the confederacy of tribes.[7]

Operation[edit]

A rainbow forming over the Salish-Kootenai Dam in Montana

The dam raised the existing Flathead Lake by 10 feet, and enabled control of the lake's level to generate electricity and for irrigation and recreational uses. The dam's hydro power plant consists of three units that receive water from three different penstocks, located 865 feet (264 m) upstream.[8] In the early 21st century, with an installed capacity of 208 MW,[9] the dam provided enough power for about 147,000 homes and more than $9 million in annual revenue for the tribes.

The dam and its related hydroelectric project are located inside the boundaries of the Flathead Indian Reservation.[10] They were operated jointly by NorthWestern Energy and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The tribally owned Energy Keepers, Inc (EKI) took over operations in 2015 upon the change in ownership.

Séliš Ksanka Ql’ispé Dam, formerly known as Kerr Dam, was completed in 1938. It dams the Flathead River a few miles below Flathead Lake southwest of Polson, Montana (2017)

During a historically dry summer of 2023, diminished inflows and required minimum downstream water flows resulted in record low water levels.[11]

In popular culture[edit]

The plot of the novel Wind from an Enemy Sky by D’Arcy McNickle is centered around the construction of the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam.[12]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Clock ticking down to Kerr Dam's historic takeover by Indian tribes". Missoulian. April 25, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  2. ^ "NorthWest Hydro Acquisition" (PDF). NorthWest Energy. p. 3. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  3. ^ "Tribal council announces new name for dam", Streamed live by Salish Kootenai College, 5 September 2015.
  4. ^ Wheeler, Burton Kendall (1977). Yankee from the West (Repr. of the ed. Garden City, N.Y., 1962 ed.). New York. pp. 315–318. ISBN 978-0-374-98405-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ McDonald, Rob (September 4, 2015). "Energy Keepers, Inc., successfully pays conveyance price for Kerr Dam". Energy Keepers, Inc. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  6. ^ "Energy Keepers, Inc". Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Lipbscomb, Brian (August 27, 2015). "We are ready: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes prepare to assume control of Kerr Dam". Char-Koosta News. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  8. ^ Foust, Justin; Kruttoff, Benett. "Kerr Dam essay". The Lake County Montana Directory. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "Panel to discuss Flathead Lake water management". Daily Inter Lake. March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  10. ^ McGregor Meadows Waterfowl Production Area Environmental Assessment (PDF) (Report). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. May 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 11, 2012.
  11. ^ Heston, Kate (February 8, 2024). "Energy Keepers acted appropriately in dealing with Flathead Lake's record low water levels, review finds". Daily Inter Lake. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  12. ^ Vince Devlin (March 28, 2012). "Film shares Arlee teacher's success at instilling tribal perspective". The Missoulian. Retrieved September 6, 2012.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kerr Dam.

47°40′36″N 114°14′03″W / 47.67667°N 114.23417°W / 47.67667; -114.23417

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