The Economic Times

For 100 years, a dam trapped 3 million cubic yards of toxic mining waste in Montana. Engineers removed it; what happened to the river next was remarkable

A century-old dam on Montanas Clark Fork River trapped 3 million cubic yards of toxic mining waste, raising concerns about pollution and the risk of a catastrophic failure. Engineers began removing the Milltown Dam in 2008, but the changes did not stop at the structure itself. The river gradually developed a new pattern of winding and branching channels through the former reservoir site. When severe flooding hit the region in 2018, officials explained why the rivers changed course could offer better flood control than the old dam.