PBS Specials

Fort Peck Dam (2013x10)

Air date: Apr 01, 2013

Construction of the colossal dam at Fort Peck, Montana manifested the promise of America, as the country faced a human crisis of unprecedented proportions. 75 years after its completion, the structure stands as one of the greatest achievements in the history of the west. Winding through America’s heartland, the Missouri river was wildly unpredictable, and characterized by extremes. Spring floods brought destruction to much of the great plains. Periods of severe drought caused enormous suffering and economic loss. Navigation on the waterway was nearly impossible. In the midst of the great depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt set the stage to tame the mighty Missouri, and build what was at the time the world’s largest dam.