Gibson Reservoir

Summary

Gibson Reservoir is a man-made body of water located just south of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Augusta, Montana. It forms part of the county line between Teton and Lewis & Clark counties. The reservoir is formed by the concrete arch Gibson Dam and backs water up between a hilly pass for about 3 miles. The water in the dam is initially provided by spring snow runoff and carried there via the North Fork Sun River and the South Fork Sun River right after the two join. The reservoir is mainly used for irrigation control.

Gibson Reservoir
photograph of lake and mountains
Gibson Reservoir is located in Montana
Gibson Reservoir
Gibson Reservoir
LocationTeton County & Lewis & Clark County, Montana, United States
Coordinates47°36′12″N 112°45′39″W / 47.60333°N 112.76083°W / 47.60333; -112.76083[1]
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsSouth Fork Sun River
North Fork Sun River
Primary outflowsSun River
Built1926-1929[2]
Max. length4.5 miles (7.2 km)
Max. width3,500 feet (1,100 m)
Surface area1,288.8 acres (521.6 ha)[3]
Max. depth123 feet (37 m)
Water volume96,477 acre-feet (119,003,000 m3)[2]
Surface elevation4,869 feet (1,484 m)[1]

Climate edit

Climate data for Gibson Dam, Montana
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 67
(19)
69
(21)
82
(28)
82
(28)
90
(32)
99
(37)
106
(41)
100
(38)
96
(36)
90
(32)
76
(24)
68
(20)
106
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 55
(13)
53
(12)
61
(16)
69
(21)
77
(25)
83
(28)
91
(33)
92
(33)
86
(30)
75
(24)
61
(16)
51
(11)
94
(34)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 35.4
(1.9)
35.6
(2.0)
42.8
(6.0)
49.8
(9.9)
59.4
(15.2)
67.5
(19.7)
78.8
(26.0)
77.9
(25.5)
67.7
(19.8)
54.2
(12.3)
41.9
(5.5)
34.4
(1.3)
54.6
(12.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 24.6
(−4.1)
24.6
(−4.1)
31.6
(−0.2)
38.3
(3.5)
46.7
(8.2)
54.2
(12.3)
62.0
(16.7)
60.9
(16.1)
52.6
(11.4)
42.2
(5.7)
32.0
(0.0)
24.7
(−4.1)
41.8
(5.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 13.6
(−10.2)
12.1
(−11.1)
20.3
(−6.5)
26.8
(−2.9)
34.0
(1.1)
40.8
(4.9)
45.6
(7.6)
44.0
(6.7)
37.6
(3.1)
30.1
(−1.1)
21.9
(−5.6)
15.1
(−9.4)
29.0
(−1.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −13
(−25)
−12
(−24)
−2
(−19)
12
(−11)
24
(−4)
32
(0)
38
(3)
36
(2)
27
(−3)
12
(−11)
−1
(−18)
−10
(−23)
−24
(−31)
Record low °F (°C) −47
(−44)
−49
(−45)
−33
(−36)
−11
(−24)
−1
(−18)
22
(−6)
28
(−2)
26
(−3)
8
(−13)
−13
(−25)
−35
(−37)
−44
(−42)
−49
(−45)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.65
(17)
0.92
(23)
0.86
(22)
1.44
(37)
2.74
(70)
3.05
(77)
1.32
(34)
1.67
(42)
1.53
(39)
1.11
(28)
0.85
(22)
0.72
(18)
16.86
(429)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 11.6
(29)
10.5
(27)
10.7
(27)
9.1
(23)
1.6
(4.1)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.8
(2.0)
4.9
(12)
7.3
(19)
10.5
(27)
67.2
(170.6)
Source: NOAA[4]


References edit

  1. ^ a b "Gibson Reservoir". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ a b "Gibson Dam". Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  3. ^ "Gibson Reservoir". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  4. ^ Cllimate in Gibsom Dam, Montana https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=tfx

External links edit

  • Gibson Reservoir Bathymetric Map Archived 2020-07-07 at the Wayback Machine Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks