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Kootenai Falls is the last major falls on a Montana river not yet dammed or 

 impounded. The falls is composed of a complex series of cascades falling over 

 shelf rock which occur between and on either side of three islands located in mid 

 river (Figure 3). The falls marks the entry to the rugged 3 mile (4.8 km) long 

 Kootenai Canyon (Figure 4). Water depths in the canyon are as much as 99 feet 

 (30 ni) providing habitat for the only white sturgeon fishery within the state 

 (Graham 1978). The rare and unique harlequin duck also finds suitable habitat in 

 this rugged canyon. Even though the falls cannot be seen from Highway 2 the area 

 receives up to 55,000 visitor days of use per year (Sewall and Associates 1978), 

 likely making it the most popular natural scenic attraction in Lincoln County. 



Figure 5 illustrates the design of the proposed Kootenai Falls Dam. The dam 

 structure would be approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) high, impounding the river and 

 associated riparian habitat (Figure 6) for approximately 3 miles (4.8 km). It 

 would be utilized for peak power periods commensurate with flows released from 

 dams upriver. Water would be diverted from above the dam into an underground 

 powerhouse which would have the capacity to utilize 24,000 cfs or the entire flow 

 of the river. The water would return to the river through two 39-foot tunnels 

 approximately 1 mile below the falls. The bypassed portion of the canyon would 

 be nearly dewatered (Figure 4). 



The all-time low flow recorded on the Kootenai was 1000 cfs. Historic flows 

 range from 4,000 to 46,000 depending upon the season, then with installation of 

 Libby Dam, seasonal flow regimes were reversed and flows now range from 2,000 to 

 20,000 cfs. Northern Lights, Inc. plans to divert all but 750 to 1,000 cfs for 

 power generation. A maximum of 1,000 cfs would be allowed to flow over the dam in 

 an attempt to simulate the natural appearance of the falls. 



OBJECTIVE 



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The objective of this study was to record species diversity and occurrence 

 within the Kootenai Falls study area and to provide direction toward a comprehensive 

 impact analysis. Because of the brief nature of this inventory, specific wildlife 

 impact analyses could not be addressed. 



METHODS 



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General 



Intermittent field work was conducted from January into July 1978, totaling 

 approximately 2 months of reconnaissance. Investigations were concentrated around 

 Kootenai Falls, although different study area boundaries were defined depending 

 upon the species being investigated. Observations were aided by the use of a 

 7 x 35 power binocular and a 15 to 60 variable power spotting scope. Field data 

 were recorded on standard data sheets which are on file with the Energy Division 

 of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. For purposes of 

 this study, winter was defined as the period January 1 to March 15, spring as 

 March 15 through May 30, and summer as June 1 to July 31. All information collected 

 herein was obtained by the author unless otherwise indicated. 



