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MOA changes alleviate fears of early lake drawdown

by Cameron Rasmusson Staff Writer
| October 24, 2014 7:00 AM

SANDPOINT — Lake Pend Oreille drawdown won’t begin before Labor Day next year, alleviating widespread local concern about a shortened summer pool season.   

As a result, water from the lake will no longer be sought to control temperatures downstream for bull trout habit.

Idaho Lakes Commission, Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announced Thursday at a packed public hearing that the Kalispel Tribe had agreed to remove the considerations from their memorandum of agreement. The MOA changes reduce the likelihood of a dramatically shortened summer lake level season next year.

“I’m happily surprised to hear there’s no prospect of the lake level going down before Labor Day,” said Bonner County Commissioner Glen Bailey.

The lake drawdown was originally proposed to improve habitat conditions for bull trout, which will instead be pursued by developing projects downstream. According to BPA officials, the changes to the accord are permanent until it’s up for review in 2022, and while the agreement isn’t official yet, they expect all signatures to be in hand within several days.  

In addition, ACOE Lt. Col. Andrew Park said they would consider local concerns when making decisions about lake level management. While the biggest priority remains minimizing risk to human life, he said he heard residents loud and clear.

“We’re doing exactly what we want to do, and that’s give local folks a voice in what happens to their lake level,” Park said.

Much of the effort to protect the full summer pool in Lake Pend Oreille was spearheaded by the Lake Pend Oreille Alliance. The organization formed this year to protect local interests in Albeni Falls Dam management, which controls the lake level. Members turned out in force at the public hearing along with hundreds of residents and business and property owners to voice opinions, and news of the MOA alterations came as a welcome surprise.

Even so, residents expressed concern about lake level management and its impact on the local economy, ecology, property values and recreation. Dozens of people requested at a minimum a full pool from Memorial Day to Oct. 1, with many preferring a solid six months before any draw down. They also demanded that local recreation and navigation be considered just as seriously as other factors like flood management and power needs. There was very little variation on that central theme throughout the entire public comment period, which lasted more than two hours.  

While the message was consistent, each speaker had his or her own motives for attending the meeting. Some were property owners concerned about the impact that a limited full pool season presented to property values. Others were sportsmen and women who said longer periods of low lake levels reduced waterfowl populations and hurt hunting and fishing. Many individuals represented organizations or businesses reliant on a full pool for an economic livelihood, saying a low lake level would kill tourism during an already-tight autumn shoulder season. Erosion, wildlife and infrastructure damage were other major points of concern.

Public outcry over the issue was substantial enough to attract the attention of Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, who assisted in mediating the situation this summer. Likewise, the Sandpoint City Council passed a resolution last week requesting a continuation of established lake level operations.

“We’re very heartened and very hopeful by these announcements,” said Sandpoint City Attorney Scot Campbell.