Priest Lake levels worry community
PRIEST LAKE — Residents of Priest Lake are concerned their recreation season could be cut short this summer due to lower-than-normal pool elevations caused by severe drought conditions in North Idaho.
Community members packed the Cedar Room at Hill’s Resort on Friday to have their voices heard during an informational meeting hosted by the Idaho Lakes Commission.
“We are at the mercy of what water comes into the lake and there just isn’t water coming in right now,” said Keith Franklin, the Idaho Department of Water Resource’s Panhandle program manager in Coeur d’Alene. “You need good historical data, but once it’s there it is what it is. All of North Idaho is experiencing it.”
Franklin also noted that the watersheds in the region are currently about one-fourth or less than what they should be for this time of year.
The lake’s summer pool is 2,437 feet above sea level, or 3 feet as measured by a U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Outlet Bay. On Friday, the lake’s level was measured at 2.92 feet.
The drought is largely due to the below-average snowpack that accumulated in the Panhandle last winter on top of an unusually dry and warm spring and summer.
Despite a severe drought classification, the IDWR decided to allow a flow of 60 cubic feet per second to flow from Outlet Dam into the Priest River. The decision was made due to an operations agreement reached in 1960, according to Franklin.
Priest Lakers contended however, that statute trumps a “handshake agreement” with regard to operating the summer pool elevation at the lake.
Idaho Code states in part, “the water surface level of Priest Lake be maintained or regulated by said director of the department of water administration above 3.0 feet” provided further, “that the water surface level of Priest Lake shall be maintained at 3.0 feet” during the summer recreation months.
“Water is our summer business. It makes our whole season,” said Elkin’s Resort owner Bob Davis, who was adamant about holding the department to the statute. “We support eight families year-round and 60 summer employees and we need that water. If it goes down a couple inches we see it. Our livelihood is dependent on summer recreation and has been since 1932.”
The statute was backed by members of the Bonner County Board of Commissioners.
“My recommendation to the director is to follow Idaho Code to maintain 3 feet through the summer recreation period,” Commissioner Glen Bailey said.
His sentiments were backed strongly by former commissioner Mike Nielsen, who asked, “Are you willing to break the law by recognizing a handshake agreement and not statutory authority?”
Franklin noted that the director of the IDWR was out of town until next week and upon his arrival the concerns would be addressed.
District 1 Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, relayed a recent phone call in which the deputy director stated he was willing to make decisions on the outflow in absence of the director. The deputy director added that he understand of the statutory obligation to maintain the lake level and would review the option of closing the dam entirely.
The typical outflow at the dam in the summer months is between 200-400 cfs.
The U.S. Geological Survey gauge near Priest River listed the current flow of the river at 195 cfs, 60 cfs of which come directly from Outlet Dam.
The average discharge for the river is just under 700 cfs over the past 65 years.
The Priest River hit a maximum discharge of 2,060 cfs in 1950. The lowest discharge was recorded in 1985 when the river hit 280 cfs.
Franklin stated he didn’t know the full impact of a remaining flow of 60 cfs and continued drought conditions as are expected, but did state that the flow would equate to the loss of one-sixteenth of an inch of water daily at Priest Lake.
The determination was made under laboratory controls and didn’t take into affect evaporation, wind, temperature and other external factors.
The total surface area of Priest Lake is 23,360 acres.
The IDWR advised boat and property owners to monitor lake conditions to aid their decisions when water craft should be safely removed from the lake prior to low water conditions
Up-to-date lake water surface gauge elevations can be found on the USGS website (www.waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/current/?type=flow). The Outlet gauge is under the Pend Oreille Basin heading. Questions can be directed to Keith Franklin or Gio Del Papa at the IDWR at (208) 762-2800.