SANDPOINT — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said they are keeping a close eye on conditions in the region due to multiple atmospheric rivers and heavy precipitation impacting the area.

Additional water is being stored in Lake Pend Oreille, and the Albeni Falls Dam is releasing 26,000 cubic feet per second downstream through the powerhouse. In northeastern Montana, the Libby Dam is being operated for flood-risk management due to high flows downstream near Bonners Ferry. The dam manages water output in the Kootenai River Basin.

USACE officials said the level of Lake Pend Oreille is expected to rise as additional water is stored to help offset the high flows in the Pend Oreille Basin.

“Additional water is being stored in the lake beyond its typical winter band, which, through coordination with Bonneville Power Administration, can be used later in the season for power generation,” USACE officials said in a press release.

Upstream, outflows at the Libby Dam were reduced Thursday from 17,000 cubic feet per second to 4,000 cubic feet per second to keep the Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry below its flood stage of 1,764 feet. The unit kcfs — thousands of cubic feet per second — measures large volumes of water flow.

Flow in the Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry peaked at 1,761.7 feet Thursday evening, and Libby Dam outflows have since increased to continue normal winter drawdown.

Near Clark Fork, flooding of Lightning Creek caused several road closures and a state of emergency was declared by Bonner County. As of Friday, East Spring Creek Road remained closed to the public while safety crews work to repair the road. USACE has taken over the reconstruction of East Spring Creek Road and is asking those in the region to limit use of that road.

In addition to the road closures, Clark Fork’s main water line was washed away during the flood. Residents are encouraged to boil any tap water before use and can get potable water from a tank the city has placed in the parking lot of the Cabinet Bar and Grill.

In Lincoln County, Montana, heavy rain and melting snow caused severe flooding — the worst since 1996. Nearly half a foot of rain fell over three days, washing out multiple bridges and roads, including the Libby Creek and Granite Creek bridges.

While water levels have started to recede in the region, the National Weather Service advised Friday that an atmospheric river will likely continue to affect western Montana and North Idaho from Monday through Friday next week.

Forecasts are calling for up to 2 inches in Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders counties in western Montana, and up to 3 inches in the mountains of northwestern Montana and north-central Idaho.

If forecast or observed conditions change, USACE officials warn that operations could also change. They advised residents to remain vigilant and check the status of current operations at nwrfc.noaa.gov/rfc. USACE reservoir data can be found online at bit.ly/3MKvgnH.

    An aerial view of Boundary County following recent flooding.