Inflatable dam that would block picturesque views in Glacier National Park floated as solution to area’s water shortage
Por Graig Graziosi — – World RSS Feed
Inflatable dam that would block picturesque views in Glacier National Park floated as solution to area’s water shortage
A local hydrologist is worried that animals like bears, elk, and moose would destroy the inflatable dams
Graig Graziosi in Washington, D.C. Wednesday 30 September 2026 19:02 BST
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A proposed plan to build an inflatable dam in a Montana National Park could help address water shortages for farmers, but the idea isn’t popular with everyone.
According to a new study, regional agricultural water shortages could be mitigated via the construction of an inflatable dam in Montana’s Glacier National Park. While building the dam could prove helpful for the farmers, a tribe living in the area and conservationists are sounding the alarm over potential environmental impacts, according to SFGATE.
Tyrel Fenner, a hydrologist and tribal citizen who has previously helped represent the water needs of the Blackfeet Nation, told SFGATE that conservationists are afraid that the dam might cause more problems than it solves.
“There would be some major concerns,” he said, noting that such a dam could end up damaged by animals like elk, moose, or bears. “I think the wildlife would wreak havoc on them if they weren’t protected.”
The study was published this summer by International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board of the International Joint Commission. It suggested the dam be installed on St. Mary Lake, which is located on the eastern side of the park.
open image in galleryThe dam is supposed to store water until later in the summer, when reserves are lower. The report estimates that the dams could store approximately 5.4 billion gallons of water, and could “meaningfully improve” water availability for U.S. farmers “during drier periods.”
The plan also suggested installing a second inflatable dam on Lower St. Mary Lake, which is located near the Blackfeet Nation that borders the park.
National Parks spokeswoman Autumn Sifuentes told SFGATE that the agency was not consulted by the group that drew up the study.
“Glacier National Park was not consulted in the development of the water plan referenced in the article and has not been approached about constructing dams on St. Mary Lake or Lower St. Mary Lake,” she said.
The St. Mary River starts in the snowfields of Glacier National Park and flows into the Blackfeet Nation before it crosses into Alberta. Neither of the three nations are receiving the amount of water they should from the river.
Warm weather, reduced snowfall and more severe drought conditions caused by human-driven climate change are expected to worsen in the coming years, putting even more pressure on the region’s water security.
open image in galleryPeter Metcalf, the executive director of the Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance, a local conservation group, told SFGATE he was concerned for both the wildlife and for the preservation of the park’s natural beauty.
“I’m very concerned about what exactly is being proposed and what that could mean for the aquatic ecosystems of the St. Mary River, but also specifically what that means for the preservation and management of Glacier National Park,” he said.
He questioned why “building new dams, even temporary” inside the park is even being entertained as a potential fix to a regional water issue.
“What does that do to the aesthetics of the park?” he asked. “What does that do to the ecology of the park?”
At present, the dam idea appears to be little more than that — an idea. The National Park Service said it had no knowledge of the plan and that it has no plans to build any dams, temporary or otherwise, at the park.
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