{"id":4374,"date":"2023-09-12T22:19:14","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T02:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/relativerest.com\/?p=4374"},"modified":"2023-09-12T22:22:12","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T02:22:12","slug":"great-falls-mess-up-and-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/relativerest.com\/?p=4374","title":{"rendered":"Great Falls – Mess Up and Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Monday, Sep 11 2023<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My primary reason for coming to Great Falls, MT was to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center <\/em>and, in my planning notes, I had noted that it is closed on Mondays after labor day (which was September 4 this year). Unfortunately, it was only on Sunday evening I realized I had bungled the timing and would not be able to visit the center on my one full day here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked for other local places to visit but “closed on Mondays” applied to all the places I found potentially interesting. The only local scenic driving is along the Missouri River and there is an extensive River Edge Trail system so I decided to make that the focus of my day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great Falls is named because it is an area where the Missouri river falls a total of 612 feet (187 m) over 10 miles (16 km). Most of this is due to the slope of the river bed but there were 5 waterfalls which make up 187 feet (57 m) of the descent. The largest fall was 87 feet (27 m) high and was described by Lewis as “the grandest sight I have beheld thus far in the journey” but four of the falls now have hydro-electric dams built above them, which reduces the river flow, and the fifth is submerged in a reservoir created by the dams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a relaxing, late breakfast I spent some time driving River Road and walking part of the River Edge Trail. Views from both were wonderful and the weather was, again, perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is Rainbow Falls, 44 feet (13 m) high, with Rainbow Dam built a little way upstream. Most of the water flow is diverted through the turbines and little is left to flow over the falls at this time of year. The hydroelectric dams give the city its nickname, “The Electric City”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Black Eagle Falls, 26 feet (8 m) high, and Black Eagle Dam with the city of Great Falls in the background as seen from an overlook on River Rd.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The clip below shows the burn-off at the city’s refinery which has undergone a recent conversion to produce bio-fuels and is already producing bio-diesel in quantity. The conversion also allows for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and, when in full production, it is expected to be the largest supplier of SAF in the world. The company claims that all source materials are natural waste and all energy used in production comes from renewables. The video then pans to a close up of Black Eagle Falls and Dam as seen from the River Edge Trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n