Lake Helena is a body of water along Prickly Pear Creek in the Helena Valley of Lewis and Clark County in southwestern Montana. It is 2,073 acres (8 km2) in size and is 3,647 ft (1,112 m) above sea level.
Completion of Hauser Dam on the Missouri River in 1907 created Hauser Lake. In addition, it created an arm of the lake, flooding 8 miles (13 km) of Prickly Pear Creek and surrounding wetlands to form Lake Helena.
Lake Helena causeway, looking due east. Lake Helena to the right, flooded arm of Prickly Pear Creek to left
In 1945, a causeway was built to separate the lake from the flooded canyon portion of the old Prickly Pear Creek. The causeway replaced a 1904 combination steel and wood bridge. The steel span was 120' long, and the overall length of the bridge was 520'. The concrete piers of the steel bridge, which was sold for scrap and dismantled in 1952, can still be seen just north of the causeway.
Water from Tenmile Creek, Prickly Pear Creek, Silver Creek, and the Helena Valley Irrigation Project flows into the west end of the lake. Lake Helena supported a commercial carp fishery for decades. The marshy west end of the lake is now a popular birding location.[1]
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^Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman, p. 146 Montana Place Name Companion website
lake, helena, body, water, along, prickly, pear, creek, helena, valley, lewis, clark, county, southwestern, montana, acres, size, above, level, east, side, looking, west, toward, scratchgravel, hillsshow, montanashow, united, stateslocationlewis, clark, county. Lake Helena is a body of water along Prickly Pear Creek in the Helena Valley of Lewis and Clark County in southwestern Montana It is 2 073 acres 8 km2 in size and is 3 647 ft 1 112 m above sea level Lake HelenaEast side of Lake Helena looking west toward the Scratchgravel HillsLake HelenaShow map of MontanaLake HelenaShow map of the United StatesLocationLewis and Clark County MontanaCoordinates46 42 10 N 111 54 07 W 46 70278 N 111 90194 W 46 70278 111 90194Basin countriesUnited StatesSurface area2 073 acres 8 39 km2 Surface elevation3 647 ft 1 112 m History editCompletion of Hauser Dam on the Missouri River in 1907 created Hauser Lake In addition it created an arm of the lake flooding 8 miles 13 km of Prickly Pear Creek and surrounding wetlands to form Lake Helena nbsp Lake Helena causeway looking due east Lake Helena to the right flooded arm of Prickly Pear Creek to left In 1945 a causeway was built to separate the lake from the flooded canyon portion of the old Prickly Pear Creek The causeway replaced a 1904 combination steel and wood bridge The steel span was 120 long and the overall length of the bridge was 520 The concrete piers of the steel bridge which was sold for scrap and dismantled in 1952 can still be seen just north of the causeway Water from Tenmile Creek Prickly Pear Creek Silver Creek and the Helena Valley Irrigation Project flows into the west end of the lake Lake Helena supported a commercial carp fishery for decades The marshy west end of the lake is now a popular birding location 1 External links editMontana FWP fishing index for Lake Helena References edit Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman p 146 Montana Place Name Companion website nbsp This Lewis and Clark County Montana state location article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lake Helena amp oldid 984515801, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
