POLSON — Flathead Lake in Polson is within a foot of full pool, at 2,892.2 feet, and full pool is 2,893 feet — weeks ahead of schedule — prompting controlled water releases at the Séliš Ksanka Ql̓ispé Dam to prevent flooding downstream.
Eve James, director of asset optimization for Energy Keepers Inc., said an unusually warm winter caused the lake to fill earlier than normal. The lake first reached near capacity in December, then again in March when warm weather combined with heavy precipitation.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes own Energy Keepers Inc.
Throughout the winter, Energy Keepers held off on controlled water releases to minimize flooding in areas downstream in Oregon and Washington.
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With spring runoff now beginning, that strategy has changed.
"Right now, because we're slowly filling that last top foot, we'll capture some of the inflows coming into the lake, but once we're full, the rest of the inflows need to pass. Right now, the inflows are 28,000 cubic feet per second — the project is outputting 25,000, which is the amount that you saw at the overlook," James said.
Seven of the dam’s 13 gates are currently open, sending 25,000 cubic feet per second through the structure to manage the lake’s rise as it approaches capacity.
Engineers say Flathead Lake is expected to reach full pool in early June, earlier than usual.
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