Local river flooding should slow down this week

Rivers in Northwest Montana reached peak flows by mid-afternoon on Tuesday, May 13, but cooler weather for the rest of the week is expected to stop the rise in river flows.

The North and Middle Forks and the mainstem of the Flathead River all exceeded flood stage levels, but there were no significant problems were reported, according to Cindy Mullaney, deputy director of the Flathead County Office of Emergency Services.

North Fork Hostel owner Oliver Meister reported high water from the North Fork of the Flathead River had flooded the area around his business in Polebridge, but that was a common event in the spring. He said the National Weather Service’s hydrograph for the North Fork indicated the river had barely exceeded the 10.5-foot flood stage level at the U.S.-Canada border by early Tuesday.

The Middle Fork of the Flathead River had passed its 10-foot flood stage mark by nearly a foot at the West Glacier gage. The mainstem of the Flathead River reached nearly 14.5 feet at the gage kept at the U.S. 2 bridge in Columbia Falls.

Earlier in May, the National Weather Service lowered the flood stage benchmark at the U.S. 2 bridge in Columbia Falls from 14 feet to 13 feet. The change was made to account for some flooding that takes place on agricultural land when the mainstem of the Flathead River reaches 13 feet.