flathead lake

At the request of a Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes company, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to keep more water in Flathead Lake this year.

Pesticides pollute lakes and streams across the nation, but no one knows how much pesticides affect Montana’s rivers. With the help of a federal grant, researchers intend to find out.

Dr. Rachel Malison, an assistant professor with UM’s Flathead Lake Biological Station, will use the funding to develop and implement a comprehensive and collaborative Pesticide Stewardship Partnership Program for Montana’s Upper Columbia River Basin.

Minimum levels would be kept up by releases from Hungry Horse Reservoir, and maximum levels would be ensured by releases out of Flathead Lake at the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam.

Lee Weber Koch writes, "Flathead Lake is one of the most beautiful places on earth; however, this summer’s low lake levels severely impacted residents, irrigators, fishermen, recreators, marinas, land and dock owners, and many other businesses directly or indirectly."

If you should happen to ride your horse into a Kalispell saloon and are arrested for disturbing the peace, we have a perfect defense prepared for you, courtesy of Colonel A.A. White of St. Paul, Minn., who used this very strategy in court in 1917.

The Bureau of Reclamation said any water release outside of 18" to the full pool mark could not be supported without significant research and studies on potential biological and ecological impacts.

Historic low water levels are impacting people who have cabins along Flathead Lake.

The record low lake level this year is part of a pattern of anomalies in runoff and water supply that is hardly new, according to Energy Keepers, Inc., which manages the Salish Kootenai Dam in Polson, on the south end of the lake.

The appeal comes after the latest forecasts show that the streamflow on the Flathead River has fallen to just 40% of the average and could drop to just 36% by mid-summer.