A final decision on whether to approve the controversial Rosewater water-skiing subdivision north of Kalispell is expected from the Flathead County commissioners on Monday.

The commissioners meet at 10 a.m. in their third-floor chambers in the main courthouse to continue discussion of the Rosewater preliminary plat that began more than two months ago. No further public comments will be taken.

In March the commissioners approved a zoning overlay for Rosewater, but sent the subdivision proposal back to the Planning Board for further review and another public hearing based on what they deemed to be new information about the proposed lake and lake liner. The board reaffirmed its recommendation for approval.

Bill Tanner of Score Management plans to build the 58-lot subdivision in two phases around a 27-acre manmade lake on 154 acres of land east of Whitefish Stage Road and north of Rose Crossing. The zoning overlay will allow homes to be clustered around the lake on acreage where the underlying zoning is suburban-agricultural with a five-acre minimum lot size.

Although water-skiing communities are popular across the country, it’s a first for the Flathead Valley. Rosewater’s proposed lake is actually two lakes in one, joined only at the west end, providing two separate water-ski courses. The amenity will offer subdivision residents and their guests the opportunity to ski, wake-board, tube, barefoot or trick ski on their own private water-use facility.

The commissioners in March put an extra condition on the project, changing the manmade lake from a permitted to a conditional use. That will require the developer to seek approval for the lake from the Flathead Board of Adjustment and the conditional-use permit could be enforced as a zoning violation if regulations placed on the project aren’t followed.

Those measures don’t go far enough for many neighbors in the Rose Crossing area who are worried the plastic lake liner — warrantied for 20 years — one day may fail and that groundwater potentially could be contaminated.

An underlying perched aquifer that varies in depth from 30 to 40 feet also is a neighborhood concern. The perched aquifer discharges at lower portions along the Whitefish River bank and several seeps have been reported in the area. Monitoring wells will be drilled into the perched aquifer, according to an operation and maintenance manual for the lake.

Ralph Hemp, who lives near the proposed subdivision, believes the developer and/or the homeowners should provide the county with a letter of credit to guarantee continuous independent monitoring of the lake for leaks and that leaks would be repaired in a manner to protect surrounding landowners and the Whitefish River.

Robin Street, who lives on Rose Crossing and has farmed there for decades, has voiced concerns about the liner and the developer’s plan to use irrigation to draw down the water.

The Rosewater operation and maintenance manual calls for about 52,370 gallons of water per day to be drawn from the lake to irrigate 13.5 acres of open common areas of the subdivision. That’s far less water than historically has been used on a daily basis to irrigate the agricultural property, Flathead County Planner Alex Hogle said.

Water in the lake will be treated with Aquashade, a blue dye used to control the growth of vegetation. According to the manual, the presence of dye in any of six monitoring wells, along with the direction of groundwater flow, would “give some general understanding” of the location of a leak. At that point a professional liner leak detection firm would be used to pinpoint the exact location of the leak.

However, the manual stresses that leakage through the liner would be “extremely remote.” The liner will be covered with 18 inches of excavated sandy silt.

Neighbors also are concerned about the potential pollution of the lake water from boat fuel residue and herbicides. If boats are operating properly, “it doesn’t appear the water would be adversely toxic,” Hogle said.

Jet skis won’t be allowed at Rosewater, and all boats must meet American Water Ski Association standards.

Tanner has testified that boat noise won’t be a problem on the lake. The Planning Board added a finding of fact to the project, saying it believes the impacts to public health and safety regarding noise are acceptable because of the commissioners’ decision to change the manmade lake from a permitted to a conditional use.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.