The Flathead Rivers Alliance will host a Wild and Scenic River Fest July 10 at Marantette Park in Columbia Falls to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the three forks of the Flathead River designation as Wild and Scenic under federal law.

Two hundred and nineteen miles of the North, South and Middle Forks of the Flathead were protected in 1976. While a proposed dam on the Middle Fork of the Flathead at Spruce Park is often cited as one of the key reasons for the Wild and Scenic River Act of 1968, the river itself wasn’t added until eight years later.

Even after the Act passed, there was still plenty of local push to dam the river. The South Fork already had the Hungry Horse Dam and there were initial plans to dam the North Fork at Glacier Rim as well as the Middle Fork.

The North Fork Dam was initially supported by the Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce, even though it would have inundated a large swath of Glacier National Park.

The dam at Spruce Park which is now in the Great Bear Wilderness would have dammed the Middle Fork and then diverted the water through tunnels to the Hungry Horse Reservoir.

It would have dewatered the lower Middle Fork (imagine the whitewater section of the river reduced to a trickle by late summer).

Still, there was plenty of local support, particularly after the Flood of ‘64.

A Hungry Horse News photo at the time showed a local man holding a petition with 4,000 signatures advocating a dam at Spruce Park.

Fortunately, none of the dams were built.

The event this July will celebrate the significance of the river system. Nationwide, less than half of 1% of rivers are protected to protect free flow, water quality, and “outstandingly remarkable values.” The event brings live music, local beer, food trucks, raffles, adult and kid activities, and much more. One hundred percent of proceeds from raffles, ice cream, select concessions, and merchandise support Flathead Rivers Alliance and wild river initiatives.

The event will include live music and many guest speakers and river advocates, including local guide and rivers advocate Hilary Hutcheson, longtime river guide and former raft company owner Bob Jordan. The city of Columbia Falls and American Rivers are also involved.

There will also be live music, headlined by Boot Juice, a cosmic seven-piece rock band known for energetic performances blending soul, blues, and funk. Live music is made possible by Music Sponsors Freedom Bank, Whitefish Credit Union, and American Rivers.

The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m.