Echo Lake water level continues to rise

A rising water level at Echo Lake has Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials watching the shoreline with the expectation that water will spill onto the causeway road, potentially harming the shore and structures bordering the lake.

Lee Anderson, a game warden captain with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, said if the increase maintains its current rate, water likely will reach the road within the next two weeks.

“I don’t believe we’ve hit the road since 2012, but it’s going to hit it again this year,” Anderson said.

Echo Lake, which is located near the foothills of the Swan Mountain Range, is unique in that it’s largely groundwater-fed and has no outlet to drain excess water.

Measurements taken June 30 revealed the water was 6 inches from reaching the lowest point of the causeway. Anderson said as of Monday, that level had risen to 4 to 5 inches below the road.

He said a winter with good snowpack followed by a spring with heavy rain are the leading causes of the lake’s potential overspill.

As water levels continue to rise, Anderson said it’s important for people accessing the lake to “be good neighbors” and watch for their impact on the shoreline.

“There could be people traveling here who don’t realize it’s not a normal water level and don’t realize this could have negative impacts to the shoreline and people’s property,” Anderson said.

There’s a 200-foot no-wake regulation on Echo Lake. Anderson said if boaters see their waves are damaging the shore even while following that rule, they should consider moving to larger areas on the lake or to another lake in the Flathead Valley until the water level decreases.

Anderson said the water level varies each year. When he arrived to the Flathead in the late 1990s, officials were looking for ways to divert more water into the lake. By 2011, record snowpack paired with a lot of rain caused the lake to hit a water level higher than ever recorded.

“With what we’re looking at now, we expect for the water levels to stop within a couple weeks after the snowmelt is gone,” Anderson said. “Until then, we’re trying to be proactive, get the word out there for boaters to be responsible users and be aware what’s happening.”

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.