Gianforte urges decision on plan to raise Flathead Lake level

Gov. Greg Gianforte expressed frustration Wednesday after a water management team failed to make an immediate recommendation on a plan to release water from Hungry Horse Reservoir to raise Flathead Lake’s sagging water level.

The plan was discussed at length on Wednesday by the Columbia River Technical Management Team, which indicated it could possibly make a recommendation as early as Friday.

“The drought in the Flathead Valley is a serious issue that requires serious solutions, and I’m disappointed and frustrated that the Technical Management Team isn’t shooting straight on this,” Gianforte said in a statement following the meeting. “Last week, I asked federal officials for formal analysis to support a potential request for a release from the Hungry Horse Project, and I haven't gotten it. Ultimately, the federal agencies which oversee the Hungry Horse Project have the data and authority to make an informed decision, and I urge them to use that to act instead of punting their responsibility.”

As of July 12, Flathead Lake’s surface water level was at 2,891.15 feet, nearly 2 feet below the full pool mark. Concerns have been raised about the economic impact the low water level will have this summer on lake-reliant businesses, as well as agricultural needs.

According to data from the Bureau of Reclamation, about 15 feet of water would need to be released from Hungry Horse Reservoir to increase Flathead Lake’s level by 8 inches by the end of the month.

The Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the Hungry Horse Dam, is requesting a formal System Operational Request, or an SOR, to be submitted to and approved by the management team before any flows are changed out of Hungry Horse.

The Technical Management Team is an inter-agency group responsible for making recommendations on federal operations regarding dams and reservoirs in the Columbia River Basin to halt and reverse the declines of threatened fish species.

There was a mix of attendees at Wednesday’s Technical Management Team meeting, including representatives from U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke’s offices, as well as Flathead County commissioners.

Discussion on the issue ranged from the impacts low water levels have on farming and tourism, to the impacts on the environment if more water is released from Hungry Horse Dam. The water level at Hungry Horse Reservoir was at 3,553.45 feet as of Wednesday, below the 3,560 full pool mark.

Joel Fenolio, from the Bureau of Reclamation, and Brian Marotz, a Montana representative on the technical team who was the hydropower mitigation coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks before recently retiring, both were listed on the agenda in regards to the issue.

According to Marotz, an System Operational Request would be hard to entertain — there may not be a way for federal agencies to implement the requested changes, especially if they go against 20 plus years of biological assessments.

“From where I’m sitting right now, I predict that there is no such thing as an SOR for Montana,” Marotz said after the meeting.

Marotz also is worried that lowering the reservoir’s water level would negatively impact the aquatic ecosystem and food sources for fish, like bugs and larvae. He also said that if 15 feet of water is released, the dam will be operating at its minimum elevation for the rest of the year, posing an issue for power production.

Jonathan Ebel, the representative on the Technical Management Team for Idaho, acknowledged that it is important to consider the biological impacts of releasing water, whether an SOR is created or not.

“The operations that are in the water management plan have been supported in Montana for very strong biological reasons,” Ebel said at the meeting.

There is also concern that releasing water from the dam would not alleviate the issue until August, when the summer season is almost over. Further, impacts of changing inflows and outflows could prove to have a domino effect for multiple years.

“The impacts that we’re talking about, that are possible, actually expand past this water year's management,” said Technical Management Team member Erick Van Dyke from Oregon.

The Technical Management Team will either meet next Wednesday with a possible SOR drafted, or if an SOR is drafted Thursday, the team will meet Friday to further discuss the issue.

“This is a very complicated situation,” Marotz said during the meeting.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.