All the reservoirs are either “close to restriction or full,” according to Flathead Indian Irrigation Project manager Nick Belcourt, who has been coordinating the efforts to transfer water into the natural drainages to help with flooding mitigation as continuous rainfall floods the Mission Valley.  

According to the National Weather Service, the accumulated precipitation in St. Ignatius changed from 10.84 inches on the morning of May 29, to over 13 inches by Monday morning. The Polson weather station reported a change from 7.69 inches on May 29, to over 10 inches on Monday, June 1.  

This increased rainfall placed Lake County and the south-central portion of Flathead County into a flood warning as the canals, rivers, creeks and streams quickly began to fill.  

McKennah Andrews, disaster preparedness and emergency services coordinator for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, stated in a press release Monday morning that South Crow Creek and Post Creek would experience increased outflows in the next few hours, along with Mission Creek. Andrews advised residents to stay away from these creeks with fast-moving water and added that officials are monitoring the flooding closely.  

“Until this storm passes this week, please remain flood-aware when traveling Highway 93 or roadways in the vicinity of creeks, canals or reservoirs,” Andrews stated.  

In a separate interview with the Leader, Andrews explained that over the weekend, Mission Creek and Post Creek were largely the concern. She added that on Sunday, conditions transitioned to North Crow Creek and Middle Crow Creek, with flows increasing significantly and Mission and Post Creek not slowing down.  

She is working directly with Belcourt and Lake County emergency management coordinator Mark Clary as these conditions continue. Belcourt said that as his team shifts water into its natural drainages, he is notifying the Tribes, the Lake County and the Montana Department of Transportation.  

As flooding increased near homes, Polson Rural Fire, with the help of Lake County Search and Rescue, City of Polson Fire, and CSKT DES filled over 500 sandbags at Glacier Lake Sand and Gravel on Sunday, May 31. These bags were placed along the Skyline Canal and at a residence in Polson.  

Polson Rural Fire stated in a press release that the Skyline Canal had breached the road and was flooding nearby crop fields. This damaged a portion of the road, which crews worked to repair.  

Polson Rural Fire Capt. Grant Clapp said the department still has about 180 sandbags available for residents in need. CSKT also issued a press release notifying residents to call 911 if their safety is in danger. Those with irrigation issues, call the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project at 406-745-2661.  

At Séliš Ksanka Ql̓ispé (SKQ) Dam, south of Polson, 12 of the dam’s 14 spill gates were open Monday morning, sending 30,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) into the lower Flathead River. That’s in addition to the water gushing over the turbines at the generation facility.  

The lake level was at one-tenth of a foot below full pool of 2,893 feet, and according to Eve James, director of asset optimization for Energy Keepers, which operates the tribally-owned dam, “we’ll be topping off the reservoir today.”  

That’s about two weeks earlier than normal. 

She said the weekend’s rain event had begun to taper off, and by Monday, “the lower Flathead River flows are near 46,000 cfs, which is close to the inflows expected into the lake today.”  

Despite filling earlier than usual, James says dam operators don’t expect Flathead Lake’s level to “significantly” exceed full pool this season. The Flathead Basin’s snowpack sits at about 73% of normal for this time of year. 

According to James, this winter and spring have been abnormal due to warmer-than-average temperatures causing precipitation that typically falls as snow in December and March to arrive as rain. In turn, that moisture increased stream flows, causing the lake level to be higher than normal as run-off season approached. 

Energy Keepers has worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the Columbia Basin river system, to balance flood risk and lake storage, James said. Noting that forecasters predict diminishing stream flows through the week, “we don’t anticipate any flooding concerns,” she added. 

    The field behind Bev’s Bloomers was filled with water from overflowing Crow Creek on Monday morning, June 1. (Emily Messer/Leader)

    The Skyline Canal breached the road, causing it to wash out. (Courtesy of Polson Rural Fire)