Streamflows better than last year

The Daily Inter Lake

Streams and rivers in the Flathead Valley now are running a little higher than average, but the forecast is for slightly below-average flows this summer.

Late this week, for example, the Flathead River at Columbia Falls was running at 22,600 cubic feet per second, compared to a long-term average for this date of 19,780 cfs.

Flows along the North Fork were at 7,480 cfs, about 8 percent above average for this time of year, while the Middle Fork was running about 9 percent below average.

The Stillwater River at Whitefish and St. Mary River near Babb were running 46 percent and 53 percent above average, respectively, according to river data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The snow depth at Flattop Mountain in Glacier National Park was 115 inches, with a snow water content was 47.7 inches - right about average for the beginning of May.

However, the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service is predicting that streamflows in the Flathead River basin this summer will be 83 to 91 percent of normal. Flows in the Kootenai River basin are expected to be 85 to 93 percent of normal.

The agency noted in a press release that this is a much rosier picture than a year ago. At this time last year, the streamflows in the Flathead and Kootenai basins were predicted to be 53 to 60 percent of normal.

Spring and summer rains could determine how closely the rivers come to their average flows this year.

Through April, Flathead County had received 5.81 inches of precipitation this year, compared to a long-term average of 4.95 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

In the Kootenai River basin, the snowpack is 105 percent of normal, while snowpack in the Flathead River basin is 97 percent of normal.

Snowmelt is expected to peak in Northwest Montana from May 16 to 22, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.