Thompson Falls celebrates centennial event

THOMPSON FALLS – Since the summer of 1915 the Thompson Falls Dam has been generating hydroelectric power on the Clark Fork River in Sanders County.

One hundred years after the Anaconda Copper Mining Company opened the dam on a set of natural waterfalls, the current owner’s and operators of the facility, NorthWestern Energy, marked the centennial with a celebration in Thompson Falls last weekend.

NorthWestern hosted the centennial anniversary celebration at the NorthWestern Energy Power Park.

The event included hot dogs and tours of the dam’s fish ladder and facilities at the dry channel portion of the dam.

During the fish ladder tours visitors had a chance to see the day-to-day tasks Montana, Fish Wildlife and Parks biologists and NorthWestern biologists run through.

The biologists count, weigh and measure each species before transporting the fish over the top of the dam.

They also ensure no walleye or lake trout are able to pass over the top of the dam.

Butch Larcombe of NorthWestern Energy noted the company had been planning for the centennial celebration for a few months and he was pleased with the turnout at the celebratory event.

“It’s been a very nice day and we got a great turnout,” Larcombe said.

Several executives from NorthWestern Energy were on hand to welcome the public and to talk about the importance of the facility to their company.

President and CEO of NorthWesetern Robert C. Rowe noted the importance of the partnership between the company’s facility and the town of Thompson Falls.

“We are very proud of the partnership we have with Thompson Falls,” Rowe said.

Rowe also spoke highly of the company’s employees at the Sanders County facility, noting their impressive safety record.

Joining Rowe at the ceremony was John D. Hines, a vice president with the company.

Hines stated the importance of sustainable energy sources such as the Thompson Falls Dam.

“Our kids and grandkids will benefit from these kind of resources in the long term,” Hines said.

Hines also applauded the work done by the dam’s employees.

He noted their safety record and the intangibles they bring to their job on a daily basis.

“The people who work in these facilities are extremely well qualified,” Hines said.

Joining the executives from NorthWestern was District 4 Public Service Commissioner Bob Lake who also noted the strong work of NorthWestern’s employees and the lasting partnerships formed between the community and the state of Montana since the dam’s opening in the early 20th century.

NorthWestern Energy purchased 11 dams, including the Thompson Falls dam, from PPL Montana in November of 2014.

Before last year’s transaction PPL Montana had operated the dam since 1999.

The dam has a current net capacity of 94 megawatts.  

The Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge 2757 of Thompson Falls provided the hot dogs for last Friday’s event.

The centennial celebration ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.