KALISPELL - Flathead County officials are asking that an emergency be declared due to continued low water levels on Flathead Lake.
The Flathead County Commission sent a letter to Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday, July 24, 2023, requesting a Disaster Declaration for Flathead and Lake counties as water levels continue to fall.
According to the letter, the critical impacts are:
- Irrigation intakes for our agricultural community drafting from lake backwaters are dry, putting crops at high risk.
- Flathead Lake marinas and lake businesses are being forced to close and docks are no longer accessible in many locations.
- Lake property owners are facing loss of rental business because docks are no longer usable by clients.
Commissioners say in the letter that, in the past, the impact during similar low-flow spring runoffs has been managed by increasing flows from the Hungry Horse Dam Reservoir but state "recent changes to the Federal Management Plan were made without notification to local government or private entities. Those changes are having catastrophic impacts for our communities and no relief is available without a State Disaster Declaration, which could free up lower-interest monies for our farms and businesses to stay viable as they plan for the future."
Watch the KPAX Special Report on the low Flathead Lake water levels below.
