With the recent removal of the Milltown Dam near Missoula, Montana, the confluence of the Clark Fork and the Blackfoot Rivers now flow freely for the first time in over a century. An outcome of this Superfund cleanup effort is Montana’s newest state park spanning 600-acres along of the former dam site.
DJ&A was hired to complete the design of Milltown State Park with a goal of not just increasing recreational opportunities in the area, but to provide opportunities for visitors to learn about the site’s storied history. DJ&A managed each phase of the project from surveying to civil design to construction administration.
DJ&A completed the design for park access roads, ADA-accessible internal pathways, primitive paths, utility layouts, three parking areas, a grading and drainage plan, an interpretive plaza, four latrines, five interpretive stations, and a walk-in river access point.
One of the site’s most distinguishable features is the Milltown Pavilion, which is designed as a point of interest along the park’s trail system. The layout of the pavilion creates an intersecting point along the trails, which divides the pavilion into two spaces. Each space opens up towards the river, providing a wide range of views. The west side contains descriptive displays which reflect the history of the area, while the east side is an open space containing bench seating allowing an individual to stop, rest, and reflect. The pavilion’s structural columns, beams, and decorative lattice roof structure were constructed and milled from existing logs, which were recovered from the Clark Fork River after the Milltown Dam was deconstructed. Brick salvaged from the removal of the Milltown Power House in 2008, was utilized throughout the pavilion structure.
Key Services
- Completed a site restoration and re-vegetation plan
- Coordinated county permitting and approval
- Provided construction management, staking, and inspection
- Designed a new pre-fabricated Ranger Station, Interpretive Place, group-use shelter, access road, parking area, bus shelter, trail accessing kiosk, lighting, vault toilet, and turnaround area
- Prepared a complete construction bid package
