Earlier, we learned that Flathead Lake won’t be getting to full pool this year. Energy Keepers, operators of the Selis Ksanka Ql’ispe Dam at the base of the lake, projects our top level will be about 8½ inches below full pool on Thursday, June 19th. After that, it’ll slowly drop another 9 inches by July 12th.
Then, if predictions are accurate, we’ll be getting a lot of war, dry weather — decreasing the water supply in the Flathead River Basin. This, Energy Keepers tells us, could lead to lake levels down as much as 3 feet by early fall.
According to the weather service, rain levels the last 2 months were about 70% of normal. Snowpack was down too — 43% of average, over 10% less than even last year.
The South Fork streamflow is at 53% of normal for this time of the year, which keeps the Hungry Horse Reservoir about a foot lower than the 10-year average.
Things should be okay on Flathead Lake over the summer but when fall arrives, some private docks and public boat ramps might become inaccessible.
