Rivers hold steady before projected rise Friday

Following a slight dip Thursday, area rivers are projected to rise again Friday as unseasonably warm temperatures speed up mountain snowmelt along with another round of rain this weekend.

The National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service showed the main river at Columbia Falls at 14.27 feet Thursday at noon. That is down from 14.88 feet reported 24 hours earlier. The river is expected to rise again beginning Friday morning to about 15 feet, where it could stay through next Thursday, June 23.

Flood stage at Columbia Falls is 13 feet. At 15 feet, low-lying areas along the river become flooded.

Meanwhile, the Whitefish River at Kalispell leveled off at 4.95 feet on Thursday, however, it was projected to flirt with the 5-foot flood stage in the days ahead. According to the Weather Service, the river could crest at 5.3 feet on Friday afternoon and stay near that level for the next seven days.

At Bigfork on Thursday, the Swan River was inches away from action stage, and could rise to the 6.5-foot flood stage by Tuesday.

The Stillwater River at Kalispell was running high and fast Thursday, but was well below the 7.5-foot flood stage.

A flood warning remained in place Thursday for the Columbia Falls and Trumbull Creek areas, as well as areas along the Whitefish River near Kalispell.

North Hilltop Road at Columbia Falls was put under evacuation notice Wednesday night due to poor road conditions in that area, while Blankenship Road, Rabe Road, Lake Drive and the Bailey Lake area were open to local traffic only.

In Kalispell, residents on Leisure Road were under evacuation notice.

“We caution community members to remain aware of their surroundings and avoid driving in standing water or flooded areas,” Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said in a media release. “We will continue to monitor the situation and

provide updates to the public as needed.”

Other road closures included Steel Bridge Road to Muddy Drive in Kalispell, West Side Hungry Horse Reservoir Road between Mazie Creek and Graves Creek Road, as well as all main roads that access the Stillwater State Forest.

Red Cross is managing an emergency shelter for residents displaced by the evacuations at Columbia Falls High School, located at 610 13th Street West in Columbia Falls.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday set up sand bag supplies and fill stations at various locations around the valley, including:

• Columbia Falls city shop, 700 9th Ave. West

• Applied Materials parking lot in Evergreen (former Shopko building)

• Echo Lake Fire Station, 735 Echo Lake Road

• Whitefish at the corner of Railway Street and Columbia Avenue (snow lot)

Additionally, due to potential flooding concerns, the Flathead Office of Emergency Services is compiling a list of people who have pastures that can help to accommodate displaced livestock.

Pastures or facilities will need to be located in areas that are out of potential flood areas and on higher ground.

The expectation is that the livestock owners would be responsible for caring for their own animals.

National Weather Service meteorologists expressed concerns about any additional precipitation coupled with the spring run-off, particularly in Northwest Montana where there is a potential for periods of heavy rain Friday night and again Sunday.

The storms Friday and Saturday could be severe across Northwest Montana, the Weather Service warned, noting the potential for heavy rain, strong winds and even hail.

Storm totals in the Flathead Valley could be in the 0.75 to 2 inches range. All area mountain ranges could be affected, as well.

“With the focus of the heaviest rainfall … once again likely to be over northwest Montana, areas currently experiencing flooding and high water issues could become exacerbated even further,” the forecast stated.

Flathead Lake's surface level rose about a foot over the last week and was approaching full pool Thursday at 2,892.7 feet. Full pool is 2,893 feet.

The SKQ Dam is operating on free-flow and Flathead Lake outflows are being limited only by the natural channel restriction in the lake outlet downstream of Polson, Energy Keepers Inc., reported Thursday in a media release.

Energy Keepers said that current river flows over the channel and through the dam are approximately 51,500 CFS and slowly rising as the lake rises.

"It is possible that Flathead Lake rises to approximately 2893.5 feet by the middle of next week before drafting and settling down into its summer operating range," the release stated.

Hungry Horse Reservoir's surface level rose about 2.5 feet over the last three days, according to USGS data.