Morony Dam
Encyclopedia
Morony Dam is a hydroelectric
gravity dam
located on the Missouri River
in Cascade County, Montana
. The dam is 883 feet (269.1 m) long and 94 feet (28.7 m) high, and generates 48 megawatts
(MW) of power.
), and director of the Montana Power Company
. (Morony was largely responsible for constructing Ryan Dam
.) Morony Dam was built by the Phoenix Utility Company. Montana Power commissioned the dam in order to provide additional power to the Anaconda Copper's zinc
refinery
at nearby Great Falls, Montana
. Construction began in 1928, and the dam was completed in 1930.
Morony Dam has a 390 feet (118.9 m) wide spillway. Nine tainter gate
s and one sluice
gate control the flow over water down the spillway. The headrace (or water inlet) for the powerhouse and the powerhouse itself are on the north side of the dam. The powerhouse, a portio of which is open to the elements, has two vertical Francis turbine
s.
As of 2000, PPL Montana had planned no major changes at Morony Dam.
enters the Missouri River about 1 miles (1.6 km) below Morony Dam, past the rapids created by the dam. The large stream creates significant undertow
and turbulence, which is not easily seen by boaters approaching from either side of the confluence of the two waterways. The Lewis and Clark Expedition
camped on the west bank of the Missouri River just below the Big Eddy on June 15,1805, after the hydrologic feature held them back temporarily. The area is primarily reached by water, but the head of the Big Eddy Land Trail is nearby.
The Big Eddy is well-known by local boaters. Between 1970 and 2010, several people drowned there after being caught unawares by the feature. In 2010, a man and his son were jetboat
ing in the area and barely avoided drowning after the Big Eddy sucked their machine underwater.
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
gravity dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
located on the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
in Cascade County, Montana
Cascade County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge*Lewis and Clark National Forest -Economy:Malmstrom Air Force Base is a driving force in the regional economy...
. The dam is 883 feet (269.1 m) long and 94 feet (28.7 m) high, and generates 48 megawatts
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
(MW) of power.
About the dam
The dam is named after John G. Morony, a banker, director of the Amalgamated Copper Company (a forerunner of the Anaconda Copper CompanyAnaconda Copper
Anaconda Copper Mining Company was one of the largest trusts of the early 20th century. The Anaconda was purchased by Atlantic Richfield Company on January 12, 1977...
), and director of the Montana Power Company
Montana Power Company
The Montana Power Company was an electric utility company based in Butte, Montana which provided electricity to Montana consumers and industry from 1912 to 1997.- History :...
. (Morony was largely responsible for constructing Ryan Dam
Ryan dam
Ryan Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Missouri River, ten miles downstream from the city of Great Falls in the U.S. state of Montana. The dam is long and high; its reservoir is long and has a storage capacity of . It is a run-of-river dam. The dam is built on the largest of the five Great...
.) Morony Dam was built by the Phoenix Utility Company. Montana Power commissioned the dam in order to provide additional power to the Anaconda Copper's zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
at nearby Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
. Construction began in 1928, and the dam was completed in 1930.
Morony Dam has a 390 feet (118.9 m) wide spillway. Nine tainter gate
Tainter gate
The Tainter gate is a type of radial arm floodgate used in dams and canal locks to control water flow. It is named for Wisconsin structural engineer Jeremiah Burnham Tainter....
s and one sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
gate control the flow over water down the spillway. The headrace (or water inlet) for the powerhouse and the powerhouse itself are on the north side of the dam. The powerhouse, a portio of which is open to the elements, has two vertical Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
s.
As of 2000, PPL Montana had planned no major changes at Morony Dam.
Big Eddy
Just below Morony Dam is a well-known hydrologic fetaure of the Missouri River known as the "Big Eddy." Belt CreekBelt Creek (Montana)
Belt Creek is a tributary, approximately 80 mi long, of the Missouri River in western Montana in the United States.It originates in the Lewis and Clark National Forest north of Big Baldy Mountain, in the Little Belt Mountains in western Judith Basin County...
enters the Missouri River about 1 miles (1.6 km) below Morony Dam, past the rapids created by the dam. The large stream creates significant undertow
Undertow
Undertow may refer to:* Undertow , a water current- Film and television :* The Undertow, a 1916 silent drama* Undertow , a crime thriller by William Castle* Undertow , a film by Eric Red...
and turbulence, which is not easily seen by boaters approaching from either side of the confluence of the two waterways. The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
camped on the west bank of the Missouri River just below the Big Eddy on June 15,1805, after the hydrologic feature held them back temporarily. The area is primarily reached by water, but the head of the Big Eddy Land Trail is nearby.
The Big Eddy is well-known by local boaters. Between 1970 and 2010, several people drowned there after being caught unawares by the feature. In 2010, a man and his son were jetboat
Jetboat
A jetboat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Unlike a powerboat or motorboat that uses a propeller in the water below or behind the boat, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat into a pump inside the boat, then expels it through a nozzle at the...
ing in the area and barely avoided drowning after the Big Eddy sucked their machine underwater.