New group to monitor Whitefish Lake water quality
Chris Jordan/Daily Inter Lake<br> Mike Koopal, executive director of the Whitefish Lake Institute, stands in front of the lake. The institute is beginning to compile all exisiting data on Whitefish area lakes to indentify data gaps and then conduct future research on the watershed. "I want to see the area's aquatic health maintained and improved for future generations," Koopal said.
A new watchdog group for Whitefish Lake aims to keep track of research conducted and data compiled throughout the lake's watershed.
Called Whitefish Lake Institute, the nonprofit corporation will be a "little sister" to the Flathead Basin Commission and an umbrella organization for all Whitefish-area lakes, executive director Mike Koopal said.
The institute will conduct independent projects but will also cooperate with existing management agencies.
"In the end, it's not our job to make management decisions; it's our job to facilitate and provide the best available unbiased scientific data to support those agencies responsible in the decision-making process," Koopal said.
While Whitefish Lake is the priority, the institute includes other nearby lakes - Upper Whitefish, Stillwater, Blanchard, Beaver and Tally - in its geographic scope.
Koopal sees the organization becoming a "definitive accountable leader" for the assimilation of physical, chemical and biological data, drawing information from existing groups such as the Whitefish Lakeshore Protection Committee and Swift Creek Coalition.
The University of Montana biological station at Yellow Bay conducts water-quality studies on Whitefish Lake every decade, the last being in 2002, and while the data is good, Koopal said, "it doesn't fill in the gaps."
Those studies have documented increasing lake pollution from septic contamination and nutrient loading.
The group is currently working on a status report that will summarize previous reports for Whitefish area lakes. It will include new information, too, and will be updated every five years.
"The report is a logical first step to provide a foundation and preliminary conclusions that will help guide our research prioritization process," Koopal said.
Gene Hedman of Whitefish, president of Whitefish Lake Institute, sees value in having a group that focuses on the entire Whitefish Lake watershed. He worked with a group of community leaders in the mid-1970s to get the Lakeshore Protection Act passed by the state Legislature.
"I've been recreating on Whitefish Lake all my life and have seen it go from no development to some pretty extraordinary development," said Hedman, 70.
Hedman leads a nine-member board of directors that includes Frank Morrison Jr. as vice president and Charlie Abell as secretary/treasurer, along with Nancy Svennungsen, Jim Stack, Mick Ricker, Jack Fletcher, Dan Weinberg and Steve Thompson.
The institute also will have a citizens advisory committee and technical advisory committee.
Koopal, a fisheries biologist, is no stranger to environmental issues. For the past 15 years, he has worked on fisheries and environmental issues in Montana, Idaho, Nevada and Alaska. He was a partner at Watershed Consulting in Whitefish for the last six years.
The institute will operate with revenue from memberships, charitable donations and grants. Koopal's position is part time this year, but the job switches to full time next year. By 2008, the institute hopes to hire a full-time research scientist.
Memberships are $40 for individuals and $100 for businesses.
Initial community support has been good, Koopal said.
"I think there are a lot of visionaries in the Whitefish area who recognize the importance of protection and improving our lake resources," he said.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com