A three year project in the making is entering it's final stages starting Monday.
The Rattlesnake Creek Dam was built in 1904 and played an integral part of Missoula’s water supply until 1983.
The City of Missoula acquired the deteriorating dam, through the 2017 acquisition of the former Mountain Water Company.
The dam was determined to be inoperable and non-essential thus begining the removal plan.
The project to remove the dam has been a multi-year effort by trout unlimited, missoula parks and rec and the City of Missoula’s Water Division, alongside a number of other entities.
Tomorrow the construction to remove the dam will officially begin.
The removal will allow for Rattlesnake Creek to flow freely, providing improved fish and wildlife habitats as well as opportunities for public recreation with new trails on both sides of the creek.
"Three years to get from planning to doing your project is actually super fast in our world, so we are really proud of that. We are looking forward to spending the whole summer out here and doing this right, making sure that we cover all the details, everything from removing the damn to putting plants in the ground this fall," said Rob Roberts. "I think we'll be done, probably by November this year and will be back next year working on weed maintenance, working on fencing and other issues as they come up."
