Hebgen Dam, Embankment dam in Gallatin County, Montana.
Hebgen Dam is an earthen embankment dam with a concrete core built across the Madison River in southwestern Montana, US. It holds back water to form Hebgen Lake, a broad reservoir set in a forested mountain valley near the Yellowstone region.
The dam was completed in 1914 to generate electricity for the surrounding region, and it has operated continuously since then. Over the decades, ownership passed through several companies, but the purpose of the structure never changed.
The reservoir behind the dam, known as Hebgen Lake, is well known among fly fishing enthusiasts who come for its trout. In summer, the shoreline fills with campers and boaters who treat the area as a base for exploring the surrounding mountains.
The area around the lake is most accessible in summer, when roads and shoreline access are generally open and conditions are stable. Those planning to fish should check local regulations in advance, as the Madison River corridor has specific rules that apply to this stretch of water.
During the 1959 earthquake, water washed over the top of the dam four times, yet the structure did not fail. That same event triggered a landslide downstream that blocked the river and created a new lake, now called Earthquake Lake, visible from the road nearby.
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