Bighorn Lake
Encyclopedia
Bighorn Lake is a reservoir
in the United States
located in Southern Montana
and Northern Wyoming
in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
. The lake is 40 mi (64 km) south of Billings, Montana
. Bighorn Lake was created by the construction of Yellowtail Dam
near Fort Smith, Montana
in 1965. It stretches the entire 72 mi (115 km) length of the Bighorn Canyon at full pool.
Photographs
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
located in Southern Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and Northern Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, following the construction of the Yellowtail Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation. This dam, named after the famous Crow chairman Robert Yellowtail, harnessed the waters of the Bighorn River and turned...
. The lake is 40 mi (64 km) south of Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
. Bighorn Lake was created by the construction of Yellowtail Dam
Yellowtail Dam
Yellowtail Dam is a dam across the Bighorn River in southwestern Montana in the United States. The mid-1960s era concrete arch dam serves to regulate the flow of the Bighorn for irrigation purposes and to generate hydroelectric power. The dam and its reservoir, Bighorn Lake, are owned by the U.S...
near Fort Smith, Montana
Fort Smith, Montana
Fort Smith is a census-designated place in Big Horn County, Montana, United States. The population was 122 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fort Smith is located at ....
in 1965. It stretches the entire 72 mi (115 km) length of the Bighorn Canyon at full pool.
Photographs