Weather, low water keeping boats off lake

By JORDAN DAWSON / Bigfork Eagle

Now that summer has officially arrived boat enthusiasts around the valley are eager to get out on the lake, but multiple weather related factors are making that difficult

The late snow and cold weather has forced the PPL, which operates Kerr Dam, to keep the lake level down due to flood risks from late snow run off. The late runoff has also caused more debris to be in the lake much later than usual.

Flathead Lake is supposed to be at pool by June 15 unless there is a flood threat, which is assessed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. On that date this year, PPL was instructed to have the lake 1 1/2 feet below pool. They were allowed to raise it slightly, but it must remain a foot below pool until the end of the month.

°()()We had a lot of snow that was melting off late,°+/- said Karlis Kanbergs, a hydrologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps has jurisdiction to advise federally regulated dams.

°()()It seems like every couple of years when you get the lake full, you end up getting some flooding in Bigfork on the Swan River. There°Os just a lot of snow. That°Os the case throughout the Rockies. It°Os very unusual for there to be this much snow pack this late. It really goes against what they°Ove been saying about climate change. There should be more rain falling, but instead we°Ove gotten more snow and colder temperatures.°+/-

Along with late runoff comes late debris on to the lake, especially around the Northern end where the mouth of the Flathead River is, according to John Obst, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden sergeant for the Region.

°()()There°Os more than usual, but it°Os not too bad,°+/- Obst said. °()()It will be out there until it washes to shore or eventually sinks. There°Os always something you have to watch out for though.°+/-

These factors, combined with the colder and wetter than usual weather have caused many boaters to choose to keep their boat out of the water.

The Harbor Master at Dayton Yacht Harbor, Phil Wolfe, said that he believes that the level of the lake is an issue, but he believes that it is the weather that is making boaters hesitant. About 30 percent of the boats aren°Ot in the water at the Harbor, and usually they are almost all in by now, according to Wolfe.

Jes Management Inc. manages 16 homeowners associations in the area, including, the Eagle Bend Yacht Harbor, Harbor Village, Eagle Bend North, Eagle Bend and Lake Pointe. A6P5 °()()It seems like people are coming back a little later this year,°+/- said Jennifer Anderson, executive director of Jes Management Inc.

However, Anderson said that the lake level has been an issue, especially at Eagle Bend Yacht Harbor where they use a bladder to protect their docks. Usually the bladder is installed Memorial Day Weekend, but they had to wait two more weeks this year, partly because they need the water level to be the same on both sides of the bladder in order for it to fold out properly.

Dennis Hatton, commodore at the North Flathead Yacht Club, said that people haven°Ot been putting their boats in for the most part until last weekend. He thinks that they will have about 80 percent in the water by next weekend, but says they usually start putting the boats in mid-May.

°()()We are two to three weeks behind,°+/- Hatton said. °()()We even missed the first part of our race season.°+/-

Hatton agrees that it is a combination of weather and the level of the lake. The North Flathead Yacht Club also has the added problem of worrying about long keels that stretch much deeper into the water.

°()()Nobody is going to go out there when the water is that murky and there°Os that much debris,°+/- Hatton said. °()()We can°Ot even get some of the boats in the water when the lake is this low. And no one likes to go in the lake when it is cold and muddy and there are rocks sticking out everywhere.°+/-