Grand Tetons - Jackson's Dam

It's unusual to see human intervention on the scale of Jackson's Dam in a National Park, but Grand Teton National Park is an unusual example of its type. The original park was purchased by a philanthropic Rockefeller (John D. Rockefeller, Jr.) and subsequently offered to the state in a letter to F.D.R. The dam had already been installed as part of a system that irrigates northern Idaho (remember the green bits).





The interpretive display boards assure me that in addition to greening chunks of Idaho, this dam allows for controlled release of water that maintains the water level in the river below. This not only benefits the life dependent on the river, but also extends the whitewater rafting season. Awesome!

Check out how far the water level drops from the lake (top photo) to below the spillway (above). There is some serious water stored in that lake right now.

The dam also makes Jackson's Lake look even prettier and allows for recreational activities like the annoying, buzzing little speedboats zipping around while I was trying to take a tranquil photograph.


This is a pretty butterfly. There are no funny stories attached to it. I just liked it. That's reason enough.