Home > Outdoor > Hunt & Fish

Damned, Then Un-Dammed: The Story of the Free-Flowing Yellowstone River

Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

In the 1970s, a national energy shortage almost dammed the Yellowstone River. This short doc tells the story of how it was saved.

If you’ve been lucky enough to float, fish, or simply sit in the presence of the Yellowstone River, you’ve certainly been lucky enough.

But you might not know the whole story of how a small group of citizens partnered with the Glenmore Distillery to push back against a dam that would have flooded Montana’s Paradise Valley and changed the nature of the Yellowstone forever.

Enter Jim “Poz” Posewitz. Poz is a hero of Western conservation, an author on the ethics of hunting, and was at the forefront of the effort to save the Yellowstone in the 1970s.

Longtime public lands advocate and filmmaker Randy Newberg digs in with Poz on the history of the conservation effort and how to push back against the powers that be.

“You go to your court of last resort, and that’s the public,” he said. “That’s where the power of democracy resides.”

The 18-minute documentary is worth every second. And it’s a stunningly beautiful tribute to a dam that never was.

Hunting the Last Wild Places film Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem hunting

'Yellowstone Country': A Hunting Film for Everyone

A deep dive into the backcountry of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to hunt elk highlights the wildlife, wide-open beauty, and difficulty of hunting in truly wild places. Read more…

Subscribe Now

Get adventure news and gear reviews in your inbox!

Join Our GearJunkie Newsletter

Get adventure news and gear reviews in your inbox!