Looking Back: Aging septic systems source of contamination
Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 5 days, 10 hours AGO
Miss Montana Danielle Wineman runs with kalispell athlete Ronald Anderson in the Montana Special Olympics snowshoe races in 2016 at Whitefish Mountain Resort. (Matt Baldwin photo)
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler
50 Years Ago
March 4, 1976
Difficulties which arose at the city test well site east of town, were explained by well driller Bill Osborne. At a depth of 284 feet, the 8-inch casing hit boulder and is hung up at that level, stated Osborne. Drilling further without the casing, he hit an aquifer yielding 60 gallons of water per minute at a depth of 316 feet. The problem, explained to Osborne, could be resolved by using a six-inch casing instead of the 8-inch casing with an additional cost of at least $2,276 to the city. Although a 6-inch casing does not produce as efficient a test as the 8 inch, it would be adequate enough to determine the capacity of a larger well dug at the same location, assured City Engineer Dennis Carver.
40 Years Ago
March 4, 1986
Sunny skies and soft spring snow beckoned 4,342 skiers to The Big Mountain Ski Resort March 1. Over 3,200 skiers soaked up the sun and pounded through moguls the next day to give the mountain one of its busiest weekends of the year. With 39 inches of snow at the base of the ski resort and 92 at the summit, the slopes are groomed each night after 60 degree spring-like days soften the snow. The US Weather Service at Glacier Park International Airport predicted the warm weather would continue.
30 Years Ago
March 7, 1996
The Mountain Mall was expected to sell soon, said mall manager Jeannie Tallman. “Assuming that all goes well, it should happen next Tuesday,” she said. Tallman, of Lambros Real Estate, said the would-be owners wished to remain anonymous until the closing. She did say that the out-of-state party plans to resuscitate the half-empty shopping center. “They're in the business of owning malls and that's what they will be doing,” Tallman said. Appraised at $3.3 million by the state in 1993, the mall has almost sold half a dozen times since Allstate Insurance Company acquired the building February 12, 1991.
20 Years Ago
March 2, 2006
A rural neighborhood north of Whitefish was recently honored for its work in reducing wild wildfire risk to their community. Residents of Elkhorn worked with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Whitefish Fire Department for two years to make the community "firewise.” They were honored at DNRC’s Montana Communities and Wildfire Conference ceremony. The Elkhorn community took precautions to help fire crews in case a wildfire threatens Elkhorn.
10 Years Ago
March 2, 2016
A new report says Lion Mountain homeowners should abandon their septic systems and hook up to city sewer if they want to keep harmful pollution out of their drinking water and Whitefish Lake. Following through with that recommendation, however, will come with a hefty price tag and not everyone is on board with the idea. Aging septic systems on Line Mountain and other neighborhoods around Whitefish Lake have been confirmed as sources of groundwater contamination impacting the lake. Research from Whitefish Lake Institute shows chronic signs of pollution in Dog Bay near Whitefish Lake State Park where groundwater from Lion Mountain seeps into the lake, The majority of homes on Lion Mountain are using septic systems, with half of those over 25 years old and a third over 35 years old.