Work group forming to study boating on Lake Five

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are recruiting for a citizen-led work group tasked with studying motorized boat use on Lake Five.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission received a petition to create a controlled no-wake speed zone on the Flathead County lake from Lindsey Bennett and Dan Simonson in October 2022. According to the petition, Bennett and Simonson represent many property holders on Lake Five, including recreationalists and seasonal, overnight and day use guests.

Bennett manages Lake Five Resort and spends most of her time on the property, she said.

“As the public access on the lake gets used more and more, I guess my fear is that the boats will keep getting bigger and bigger,” Bennett said this week.

At its February meeting, the commission opted against initiating rulemaking on wake restrictions. Instead, it asked the state wildlife agency to create a local work group charged with developing a recommendation for possible rulemaking.

Almost all guests understand that the lake is too small for wake surfing or other water sports, according to the petition, and the Hungry Horse Reservoir, along with other, bigger lakes, are nearby for interested parties to continue those activities.

“Many guests feel disturbed and threatened by motorboats on the lake. Many property owners in the lake have lost noticeable shortline due to erosion from the large waves produced by wake surfing boats,” the petition reads.

The petition argues that the lake is used mainly by swimmers, paddlers and anglers. Wake and surf boats are a small percentage of watercraft on Lake Five, it contends, but are responsible for the largest impact regarding lake health.

“It's such a tiny little lake, it’s so warm, and it's the best swimming lake in the whole area. I'm just afraid it's getting too dangerous [with more motorboats],” Bennett said.

Growth in activity at Lake Five, located off of U.S. 2 near West Glacier, has proven contentious in the recent past. A group known as Friends of Lake Five, Inc. successfully sued Flathead County for giving the go-ahead in 2020 to the development of a resort on the lake’s west end. In March 2022, Flathead County District Court Judge Amy Eddy issued an order that voided the major land use permit for the resort, requiring the land be restored to its unaltered condition.

As for the request for a no-wake speed on the lake, the state wildlife agency is seeking 10 individuals, consisting of affected members of the public from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, to collaborate to develop a recommendation.

Bennett said that while she hopes the work group brings a good recommendation forward, she worries no change will come out of it.

“Judging from the response we got when my husband, [Dan Simonson], went to the commission meeting in Helena, I don’t have high hopes for anything to change,” she said.

The tentative plan is for the group to hold its first meeting Aug. 24 and a subsequent meeting on Sep. 5.

For an application, go to https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/regions/region1 or email Dillion.Tabish@mt.gov. The applications are due by 5 p.m., Aug. 1 and can be dropped off or mailed to FWP Lake Five Work Group, Attn: Dillon Tabish, 490 North Meridian, Kalispell, MT 59901, or emailed to Dillion.Tabish@mt.gov.

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