Multiple needs balanced as projected lake levels lower
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News from CSKT, EKI
POLSON – At a critical time to capture water in Flathead Lake, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Energy Keepers Inc. are implementing a solution to balance the multiple needs of the community. EKI will implement a 45 percent reduction in the license required minimum flows from 12,700 cfs to 7,000 cfs. The reduction will be impactful to the lower river fishery and electricity production for the remaining days of June. However, both impacts will be offset in the last half of July and August with the shift of water volume in the lower river. A trade-off that will provide 46 days of lake access in the top 12 inches and 62 days of access in the top 18 inches as opposed to zero days and 9 days at these elevations without the adjustment. August lake elevations are still projected to decrease to nearly three feet below full pool by Aug. 31.
During a "Voices of Montana" podcast, about forecast Flathead Lake water levels, EKI CEO Brian Lipscomb, explained that 70 percent of the energy in the northwest comes from hydropower and that there's a 393kw shortfall, enough to power a city the size of Missoula, or about 35,000 homes.
The required approval from the Secretary of Interior was received by EKI Friday allowing the reduction of instream flows to be implemented.
“We received approval from the Secretary of the Interior to cut our required instream flows below the usual levels,” said Lipscomb “This sacrifice is forecasted to keep lake levels within 12 inches of full pool through the end of July. This will come at a financial cost for operations during the early summer, serve the minimums of robust fisheries, and allow more boat dock users to remain viable during a busy summer season.”
Projections during early June put lake levels as down nearly two feet below full pool by the Fourth of July weekend and nearly three feet below full pool by Aug. 31. Full pool is 2893.
EKI worked with the Natural Resources Department staff of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to reach this compromise. Tribal Council voted Thursday to approve the effort to seek the variance from the U.S. Interior Department, which came Friday.
“Under challenging situations, we applaud our staff for presenting a solution,” said Council Chairman Michael Dolson. “We supported this action to be good stewards of the resources, good economic partners, and also good neighbors.”
In answer to what plan B might be, Lipscomb explained, “We just run out of options as we continue to see the water diminish coming into the reservoir. So that the situation we are faced with, we pivot to making sure people are made aware of what’s likely to happen.”
Unprecedented hot and dry temperatures arrived in the spring and did not fade away before reducing snow pack levels that support spring runoff into the Flathead Lake basin. Modeling based on projections revealed a critical situation of low lake levels that only worsened into May and early June. According to Eve James of EKI, “Looking at 2025, it’s been hot and much dryer than 2023 after Memorial Day when the water supply forecast dropped significantly, almost a 22% decrease to 54% water supply for the summer. We are expecting nearly one-half of the streamflow into the lake so when you have that kind of inflow, we expect that inflow to be below our minimum outflow requirements. Again, in the next few days and then the lake level will begin to decrease. How quickly it decreases will depend on how quickly those inflows recede and continue to drop and with the latest forecast, we are expecting it to decrease by nearly 2 feet below full pool by the 4th of July and 3 feet below full pool by the end of August.”
EKI worked with SKQ operators to work within license required minimums to pursue aggressive refilling efforts. These conditions have forced operations at SKQ to again be at license required minimums and filling Flathead Lake as aggressively as possible while avoiding flood control limits. In spite of these operational sacrifices by EKI, the melted snow remaining will not get Flathead Lake to full pool without an approved deviation to the required minimum flows.
While recreational boating and fishing can continue at any lake elevation with the accessible public boat ramps, lake users should be aware that lakefront boat storage and dock access may be affected if these water level forecasts are realized.
“These operational changes come with a financial and ecological sacrifice that will impact power generation at SKQ,” said Brian Lipscomb. “We plan to make up some of that difference in August. The lake will draft beginning in August down to the original projection levels of three feet below full pool. We want everyone to know that now so they can prepare accordingly. The worst thing is when people don’t see it coming or don’t hear and get caught off guard.”
As forecasts are updated through the months of June and July EKI will update the public to any changes.
Please see updated forecasts on Flathead Lake levels with inflows and outflows, and frequently asked questions with answers: https://energykeepersinc.com/flathead-lake-data/
About Energy Keepers, Inc
Energy Keepers, Inc (EKI) is a federally chartered corporation created and wholly owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation, pursuant to Section 17 of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. As well as developing economically, the CSKT are nationally recognized as a leader amongst Tribal nations for exercising their sovereign powers to preserve and protect cultural, wildlife and natural resources of their traditional homeland now and for future generations. CSKT and EKI are the co-licensees of FERC Project No. 5, the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Project located on Tribal Land six miles below the natural outlet of Flathead Lake on the Lower Flathead River.
