More rain, slower snowmelt kept Flathead Lake at full pool, officials say

Flathead Lake sat at full pool this summer following a dry 2023 season that saw its water level plunge to record lows.  

It’s been a welcome development for everyone from water recreationalists to operators of the Se̓liš Ksanka Qĺispe Dam, but it is more likely the result of cooperative weather in spring and summer than any actions taken by man, officials said.   

“While we really appreciate positive sentiments, and there is a lot of mastery and excellence managing the situation, a lot of it is mother nature,” said Robert McDonald, spokesperson for Energy Keepers Inc., which operates the SKQ Dam, this week.  

The lake this year reached full pool — 2893 feet — about June 11 following a cool May. This week, as it was all summer, the lake remained nearly full pool. 

In 2023, the lake reached full pool by June 11 following a hot May and record-fast snowmelt. The water supply volume in May 2023 was 111% of normal, McDonald said. 

That year, though, the water level fell from June 11 on, leaving businesses on the lake to struggle and boat owners without the ability to dock their watercraft.  

Cooler temperatures in 2024 meant a slower snowmelt. In May, the lake’s water supply volume was 68% of a typical year.  

“That shows just how big of a melt and dump we had in 2023,” McDonald said.  

The fast snowmelt that year, which meant less water flowing in later that summer, played a role in the lake’s continuously decreasing water level in 2023. The lake’s surface water level in early July 2023 was a foot below the median level over the past 23 years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.  

Another big difference between 2023 and 2024 was precipitation. While 2023 saw a historically dry and hot summer, 2024 saw instances of rain throughout June and July.  

“While it is still a drought year in 2024, we had a touch more water,” McDonald said.  

THE LOW water levels of 2023 prompted an outcry from local and federal politicians, who sought the release of water from the Hungry Horse Reservoir to bolster Flathead Lake.  

U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Whitefish, introduced the Fill the Lake Act in Congress, which would require the secretary of the Interior to ensure that the lake stays at full pool from June 15 to Sept. 15. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, where it remains, in November 2023. 

An interagency management team ultimately opted against releasing water from the reservoir to partially refill Flathead Lake, ruling that doing so would have negative repercussions downstream, including on native fisheries.  

Energy Keepers, according to McDonald, used the same overall management process this year as they did in 2023 and operated within its license requirements.  

In January, the National Organization to Save Flathead Lake, a local group of residents and lake-goers, petitioned the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to intervene in the management of the dam after the 2023 season.  

Upon review, the commission found that Energy Keepers operated the dam according to its license and expectations.  

How full the lake will be is not determined by Energy Keepers as much as it is by nature and weather, McDonald said.  

In both 2023 and 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removed — at Energy Keeper’s request — flood control restrictions, allowing dam operators to fill the lake sooner and, ideally, keep it full longer.  

“Everyone is happy, that’s for sure this year,” said Carole James, president of the National Organization to Save Flathead Lake. “Everything worked the way it always worked.”  

James specifically thanked Energy Keepers, which is owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, for following a “balanced approach” to its management of the lake.  

“We had more water this year, we had more rain, which helped a lot. I think there were some mistakes that happened last year, I’m not saying that they were intentional ... but everyone jumped the gun,” James said.  

She hopes that Energy Keepers in the future will strive to match the flow of water exiting the lake with the amount of water coming in.  

Businesses, specifically boat rental locations, were also glad that the lake’s level stayed consistent.  

“[This summer] went really well, it really couldn’t have gone too much better,” said Zach Wenzel, the bar and boat rental owner at Blue Cat and Marina Cay Resort in Bigfork. “[Energy Keepers was] definitely preparing for it to be a low runoff, and I think everybody was, but they were full before they had to be.” 

By Oct. 31, Energy Keepers, as required by license, will drop the level two feet from full pool to manage shoreline erosion.  

Next year will see La Nina conditions, a change from the past two summers. Conditions are typically cooler and slightly wetter in a La Nina year, according to the National Weather Service.  

While forecasts are encouraging, predictions for the lake in any given summer are hard to make ahead of spring, McDonald said.  

“It takes some skill and know how to get the lake up to full pool each year,” he said. “We are aware of the community sentiments and are responding the best we can.” 

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