SANDPOINT — A study released by the Lake Commission found the current management of Lake Pend Oreille has left the region’s economy 10% to 11% smaller than it could be. 

Conducted by two professors from the University of Idaho, Steven Peterson and Timothy Nadreau, the study compared a proposed management plan that extended the lake’s tourism season to its historical management. According to the study, the region’s economy lost around $43 million in economic activity last year because of inconsistent levels and a shorter season than other area lakes. 

“We all knew that there was some economic harm, but it's almost impossible, as lay people, for us to quantify it,” Ford Elsaesser, chair of the Lakes Commission, said. “It confirms what we think most people in Bonner County always believed: that we were really hurt by this.” 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently operates the Albeni Falls Dam that controls the levels of Lake Pend Oreille. The dam is managed to generate power for the Bonneville Power Administration, natural fish spawning, mitigating flood risk and recreation.    

The proposed management plan developed by the professors would extend the lake’s summer pool level by 60 days, beginning May 1. In the study, the professors write that they believe the increase in consistency and duration would not only lead to further tourism activity, but the occupancy of seasonal second homes. 

The tourism industry accounts for around 11% or $410.6 million of the Bonner County economy and carries with it 18% of the region’s employment. The study estimates that the current management system reduces the region’s economy by the equivalent of 435 full-time jobs. 

"They did just an incredibly thorough job of analyzing the economic data of the region to make it clear that they're not just making this number up,” Elsaesser said. “The loss is really not only a loss of community members access, but a loss of employment in the service economy, losses to small businesses that depend on lake tourism.” 

Last week, Elsaesser presented the study findings to the state Senate Resources and Environment Committee. He said he felt the committee received the results favorably as many of the senators sitting on the committee were familiar with the preliminary results of the study released in November. 

Following Elsaesser’s presentation, Sen. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden, was the only senator to ask questions. Okuniewicz said that while he’s sympathetic to the impact on business, he prefers to be alone on Lake Pend Oreille and questioned whether the proposed management plan would make a significant difference. 

“I was a little taken aback by the question from Senator Okuniewicz,” Elsaesser said. “I don't expect that there will be any legislative action. But the important thing here is that we wanted to be sure that the governor, the attorney general and the House and Senate were fully aware of the study as they look at the big picture of water use.” 

In his presentation, Elsaesser used the example of a Mother’s Day outing to emphasize the need for a longer season on Lake Pend Oreille. 

“Can you use Lake Coeur d'Alene? Absolutely, it's full of boats on Mother's Day, Priest Lake, absolutely. Hayden Lake, absolutely,” Elsaesser said. “[Lake] Pend Oreille, almost impossible until late June, or sometimes as late as the Fourth of July.” 

An area that the study focused on was the inconsistency of the lake reaching summer pool levels. The study found that under the current management plan, the time frame can vary by 50 days, which they claim increases the chances that tourists will come to the lake later in the season and extends the region’s shoulder season. 

During the Pend Oreille Economic Summit in September, when Peterson discussed very early findings of the study, he said this was one of the standout takeaways from their review. 

“We think the uncertainty itself is a huge detrimental factor to people in their recreation activities and the people who live here,” Peterson said at the summit. “Recreation and tourism have its own volatility ... but with that said, the uncertainty of the lake level has an adverse effect on it.”     

The proposed management system did not consider natural elements like fish habitat or shore erosion. However, Elsaesser said there hasn’t been any indication a longer tourist season would have a negative impact on the environment. 

Elsaesser said the commission’s next steps are to try and get the results in front of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and press them for further changes in the lake level. He said they have the final study but have not communicated with him yet. 

Elsasesser said he welcomes the community’s input on the study and hopes area residents and business support the commission’s efforts as it moves forward. 

"We certainly would like to have input from the local stakeholders,” Elsaesser said. "[We] would like their support in the efforts to get everyone from Congress down to the operations managers of the dam to give us a full recreational season.”