The Bigfork Hydroelectric Project is for sale, and PacifiCorp, the electric company that owns the dam, reports it has received multiple proposals from parties interested in taking over the project.  

Offers were accepted through Sept. 4.  

"We expect to take some time to consider the proposals, then enter into discussions with one or multiple parties,” PacifiCorp Communications Specialist Drew Marine wrote in an email to the Bigfork Eagle. “The final outcome may not be known until early 2027." 

PacifiCorp declined to share the number of proposals received or name the interested parties at this stage of the sale process, which remains a private business decision and is not subject to public comment, Marine said in a previous explanation of the process.  

The proposals being considered would include taking over the current hydroelectric project license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and continuing to operate the dam. These proposals are not related to the decommissioning process. 

"Our hope remains to find a new owner that will take over the existing FERC license and continue to operate the project as it does today, including maintaining existing public recreation access and opportunities for the community," Marine added. 

PacifiCorp announced in June that it planned to sell the dam, which it has owned since 1954 and licensed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission since 1976. The company cited more rigid federal dam safety criteria that would require significant investment as the primary reason for selling the dam.  

The current license operated by PacifiCorp is for a 50-year term and is slated to expire in July 2053.  

When it announced its plans, PacifiCorp said its intention was to sell the project and surrounding land, which includes Sliter Park and portions of the Swan River Nature Trail, to a party that would continue to operate the dam and keep those spaces open for public use. 

However, PacifiCorp also said that if it was unable to find an interested buyer to take over the federal license, the company would pursue the decommissioning and possible removal of the dam.  

Such a possibility was met with concern from local organizations like the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork and the Bigfork Community Alliance who worried about the future of events like the annual Whitewater Festival and the fate of Sliter Park and the Swan River Nature Trail, as well as the possibility that the land would be privately developed. 

Under the federal license agreement, PacifiCorp is required to provide access to public waterways and manage public recreation sites. If a new operator takes over the license, those requirements would still be in place, the company said. 

While the Bigfork Dam is a small, run-of-river dam that no longer provides electricity to the community, the dam has been in existence longer than the village of Bigfork.  

The Bigfork Hydroelectric Project was constructed in 1900 by Lafayette Tinkel who, along with his employees, dug by hand a canal that diverted water from the Swan River to a wooden flume and ditch that carried water more than a mile away to a powerhouse. By 1902, the facility was producing power, bringing electricity to Bigfork just a year after its founding. 

The dam became central to the village's identity. Electric Avenue in downtown Bigfork draws its name from the dam and the electric power lines that ran above the main thoroughfare. In a 2021 article for the Bigfork Eagle, Kyle Stetler wrote, “It’s hard to overstate just how rare electrification was at the turn of the century. In fact, even 30 years later, in 1932, 90% of rural America was still without electricity, lighting their homes with gas flames and coal oil lamps.” 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.