Fort Peck Lake, or Lake Fort Peck, is a major

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contr ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, formed by the

Fort Peck Dam The Fort Peck Dam is the highest of six major dams along the Missouri River, located in northeast Montana in the United States, near Glasgow, and adjacent to the community of Fort Peck. At in length and over in height, it is the largest h ...

on the Missouri River. The lake lies in the eastern

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

region of Montana approximately east of Great Falls and north of

Billings Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metro ...

, reaching into portions of six counties. The dam and reservoir were built in the 1930s to enhance navigation on the Missouri River, supplying enough water downstream of the dam to provide for a 9-foot deep, 300-foot wide navigation channel from

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County ...

, to the mouth of the Missouri just above St. Louis. Following severe flooding along the Missouri River in 1943, which hampered the economic development of the

Missouri River Valley The Missouri River Valley outlines the journey of the Missouri River from its headwaters where the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers flow together in Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri. At long th ...

and damaged production of military supplies for then-ongoing

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, five additional dams were added when the federal government adopted the Pick-Sloan Plan, calling for a series of dams and reservoirs to be built along the Missouri and its tributaries. Fort Peck Dam was built from 1933 to 1940 by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

; water impoundment began in 1937 and the reservoir was first filled to capacity in 1947. With a volume of when full, Fort Peck is the fifth largest artificial lake in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. It extends through central Montana, and its twisting, inlet-studded shoreline has a total length of some . Along with the Missouri River, smaller tributaries such as the Musselshell River, Fourchette Creek, Timber Creek, Hell Creek and Dry Creek feed the reservoir; the latter forms the longest side arm of the reservoir, which reaches some southwards. The lake covers an area of , making it the largest in Montana by surface area, although

Flathead Lake Flathead Lake ( fla, člq̓etkʷ, label= Salish, kut, yawuʔnik̓ ʔa·kuq̓nuk) is a large natural lake in northwest Montana. The lake is a remnant of the ancient, massive glacial dammed lake, Lake Missoula of the era of the last interglacia ...

has a larger volume due to its greater depth. The reservoir is also a tourist attraction, with 27 designated recreational sites bordering its shores. Bordering nearly the entire reservoir is the

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (abbreviated as the CMR NWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Montana on the Missouri River. The refuge surrounds Fort Peck Reservoir and is in size.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servi ...

, which has preserved much of the high prairie and hill country around the lake. The lake is featured in the film

Jurassic Park III ''Jurassic Park III'' is a 2001 American science fiction action film, written by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor and directed by Joe Johnston. It is the third installment in the ''Jurassic Park'' franchise and the final fi ...

, as part of an

excavation Excavation may refer to: * Excavation (archaeology) * Excavation (medicine) * ''Excavation'' (The Haxan Cloak album), 2013 * ''Excavation'' (Ben Monder album), 2000 * ''Excavation'' (novel), a 2000 novel by James Rollins * '' Excavation: A Mem ...

Fishing

Fishing is popular at the reservoir and a large variety of fish have been introduced into the lake.

References

External links

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Fort Peck Dam and LakeFt. Peck Project - Recreation.gov
area recreation information, camping reservations
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife RefugeMontana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and ParksFort Peck Lake at Big Sky FishingFort Peck Lake Reservoir and Recreation Area
{{authority control Reservoirs in Montana Missouri River Protected areas of Phillips County, Montana Protected areas of Fergus County, Montana Protected areas of Petroleum County, Montana Protected areas of Garfield County, Montana Protected areas of Valley County, Montana Protected areas of McCone County, Montana Bodies of water of Phillips County, Montana Bodies of water of Fergus County, Montana Bodies of water of Petroleum County, Montana Bodies of water of Garfield County, Montana Bodies of water of Valley County, Montana Bodies of water of McCone County, Montana 1947 establishments in Montana Fishing areas

Fishing

See also

References

External links