SANDPOINT - Lake Pend Oreille is expected to surpass flood stage in the coming weeks, but the latest projections suggest it will not rise to the level of moderate flooding.

"We are definitely going to go above flood stage on the lake," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Patricia Graesser said on Wednesday.

The official flood stage for Lake Pend Oreille is 2,063.5 feet above sea level, which is 1 foot above the summer pool elevation.

The lake level was at 2,062.28 on Wednesday afternoon.

The most recent projections developed by the corps and the National Weather Service indicate the lake could top out somewhere between 2,064.1 and 2,064.7 feet before the month is out.

"It looks pretty likely it would hit 2,064," Graesser said.

Minor flooding is possible in the Clark Fork and Pack river valleys if the lake reaches 2,064 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

However, federal officials emphasize that it is impossible to say exactly what will happen.

"It could go to that level. It could go higher; it could go lower," said Graesser.

If the level rises to 2,065.5 feet, flooding of some lakeside homes and docks is likely. Major flooding of lakeside homes and docks is likely if the lake reaches 2,069 feet. Downtown Sandpoint could experience flooding if a 2,071-foot elevation is attained.

The above elevations are based on the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. However, Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain insurance maps are based on more precise datum developed in 1988.

As a result, homeowners who are trying to gauge their flooding risk are reminded to add 3.87 feet to the corps and weather service elevations to get the equivalent elevations on floodplain maps.

Bonner County Emergency Management is stockpiling sandbags for public use. Sandbags are also being distributed by fire districts in Bonner County.

Graesser said the agencies shy from trying to make pinpoint-precise predictions.

"It can mislead people into a false sense of security or panic on the other end," she said.

Bayview notwithstanding, flooding concerns in Kootenai County are receding.

"Bayview is a concern," said Doug Fredericks, an emergency management preparedness specialist. "That's going to be the issue right now."

If forecasts hold up, Bayview could flood between noon and 5 p.m. on Sunday. But flooding should be minimal and at the lowest areas, Fredericks said.

Residents can pick up sandbags at the Timberlake fire station, as well as sand at the Bitter End Marina.

Those interested should call 772-5711 for scheduling a pickup.

Barring unforeseen heat waves, the rest of Kootenai County, including Lake Coeur d'Alene, Hayden Lake, and the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers should avoid flooding. All are under current flood levels and are expected to recede in the next week, Fredericks said.

Coeur d'Alene Press staff writer Tom Hasslinger contributed to this report.