It looks like another year where Flathead Lake won’t get to full pool, but it’ll be close. Energy Keepers, operators of the Selis Ksanka Ql’ispe Dam at the base of the lake, say the lake’s water levels continue at about 9 inches below full pool, but we may just avoid the worst of the low water projected for late next month.
With all the rain we’ve been getting these past few weeks — which amounts to upwards of 300% of what was expected, we may avoid that predicted 3 feet below full pool in August. The latest predictions show we’ll be about 18 inches below full pool by Labor Day.
Flathead Lake is the largest, natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi but warm, dry conditions and unusually fast run-off this spring forced Energy Keepers fill the Lake more quickly so that they could keep their hydroelectric commitments downstream as the summer progresses. Energy Keepers, owned by the Salis & Kootenai Tribes, is preparing for a diminished water supply towards the end of the summer.
