City of Missoula | 11 mining operations, especially after the Clark Fork River became the site of a hydro-dam installation. That infrastructure eventually deteriorated and engineers began to worry the mass of sediments that had built-up from mining processes over the years would wreak certain havoc should the dam ever collapse. Ironically, Missoula’s very name stems from the Native American expression by which tribes historically referred to the Clark Fork River (nmesuletk) which translates to “place of frozen water.” In the modern era, frozen water took on a whole new meaning. Engen says this once vibrant waterway and watershed was used historically as a dumping ground for mining sediments upriver and household garbage in Missoula. Eventually, environmental conditions became so serious the site was designated among the most urgent in need of clean-up as indicated by the national Superfund program. Engen says that era reflects a grim chapter of Missoula’s history “when people turned their back to responsibility.” Yet, that’s certainly not the final chapter in the story of the transformation underway in Missoula. The area around the Clark Fork River was not only cleaned-up a few years ago, but the flow of water restored when the dam was removed in 2008, water flowing freely for the first in more than a century. “We recognize problems, but look for ural mecca of Montana.
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