PRIEST LAKE — Stakeholder feedback has prompted a revision to the drawdown plan for Priest Lake, according to officials with the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

As a result, the fall drawdown of water flowing through the dam, which began Oct. 1, will be capped at 1,500 cubic feet per second — up from the previously announced 1,000 cfs. As of Oct. 8, the lake level was 2.57 feet; a year earlier, it was 2.1 feet.

In the past, lake water was released all at once during the drawdown. However, concerns led to a change in that approach this year.

“Idaho Fish and Game has expressed concern that those sudden high flows are harmful to the Priest River fishery and have documented that in the Priest River Basin Plan,” Molly McCahon, executive director of the Lakes Commission, said in an email.

That level was reached Tuesday, and the plan is to hold it for two weeks, until roughly Oct. 24.

McCahon said that to achieve the 1,500 cfs outflow cap, the drawdown will be slower than in previous years. While the lake will remain accessible later into October, it is expected to reach its lowest level by Nov. 1.

That minimum lake level has been revised to 0.4 feet — slightly higher than normal — to aid in dock maintenance and repair ahead of winter and to meet the outflow cap.

“It is very likely that after Nov. 1, the lake will rise and fall naturally with winter precipitation, but won’t fall below that 0.4 feet,” McCahon said.

IDWR officials said the drawdown will end Nov. 1 to avoid drying out kokanee redds — fish spawning nests — located in shallow areas near the shoreline.

Operations on Priest Lake have held the lake level between 3.0 and 3.5 feet since June 11, following the spring runoff.

If necessary, river flow at the dam may be adjusted downward if the lake level drops too quickly.

For questions or comments, contact the Idaho Department of Water Resources at [email protected] or 208-762-2800.