Letters to the editor Jan. 11

Managing the lake level

Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, has long been managed by the Seliš Ksanka Qlispe (SKQ) Dam — formerly known as Kerr Dam — since its construction in 1938. The dam raises and lowers the lake’s level and controls outflows, historically requiring a seasonal drawdown each fall to prepare for winter conditions, prevent ice damage and manage flood risks. 

This predictable lowering has shaped shoreline development over decades, with permanent docks, piers and cabins built along the lake’s more than 100 miles of shoreline to accommodate the lower winter levels.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, through their tribally owned corporation Energy Keepers Inc., assumed full ownership and operation of the dam in 2015. Energy Keepers must balance multiple priorities and requirements under its federal license: generating hydropower, protecting downstream fisheries and endangered species with minimum flows, and supporting recreation and irrigation.

Landowners around the lake have grown anxious about a potential departure from requirements and tradition. Never a problem for over 80 years, if the lake remains at or near full pool (2,893 feet elevation) into late fall — due to operational decisions creating insufficient drawdown before freezing temperatures arrive — ice formation could cause catastrophic damage. Floating ice sheets or “ice shoves” might push against fixed docks, rip out pilings, erode shorelines, and cause structural failures. With thousands of permanent structures relying on the historical drawdown, such damage could run into millions of dollars in repairs, lost property value and disrupted access.

In this scenario, litigation against Energy Keepers, a Montana Corporation, appears probable. Affected property owners could file lawsuits claiming negligence, breach of implied or required duties under operating practices, or intentional failure to mitigate foreseeable risks. 

Previous controversies have seen petitions to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and calls for intervention. Courts might examine whether Energy Keepers’ actions comply with its license and mandated obligations. 

The stakes are high: economic losses for lakeside communities versus Energy Keepers’ perceived obligations to tribal revenue from power generation and federal mandates.

While no such catastrophe has occurred yet, ignoring clearly foreseeable and disastrous outcomes materially increases the liability of the party who fails to act. Foreseeability amplifies responsibility, rather than mitigating it.

— William T. Lincoln, Lakeside

Eat it up

In reference to the many letters written by the doctor from Columbia Falls, I would like a chance to respond.  

This person obviously has an issue with immigrants. But facts and data would tell a different story.  I would think one with a Ph.D. would be of the mindset that research and data speak louder than hate and misunderstanding. Research examining homicide arrest trends found that undocumented immigrants had the lowest homicide arrest rates throughout the entire study period, averaging less than half the rate at which U.S.-born citizens were arrested for homicide. While the homicide rate for documented immigrants fluctuated between higher and lower than native-born rates, undocumented immigrants consistently remained below U.S.-born rates.

Quick question, has this man written any letters about the obvious Epstein coverup? You know, the one we can’t read much of because of mishandling the redaction process?

Every Democrat I know says that President Bill Clinton should be prosecuted if he did wrong. But silence from the other side. So, eat it up. As we have seen and continue to see, the propaganda machine needs to expel some energy, and it’s working overtime.

— Jeremy Phillips, Kalispell