The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will take action on the Quiet Waters rule proposal in a May 26 meeting in Helena.
The meeting will be streamed live via video conferencing at all Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks regional offices, including the Kalispell site at 490 N. Meridian Road. The commission will take public comment on the rule proposal beginning at 8:30 a.m. Comment can be given at regional offices. The meeting will be audio-streamed live online at fwp.mt.gov.
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a national sportsman group headquartered in Missoula, is spearheading the initiative. The proposal’s main target is personal watercraft, defined as recreational watercraft that a rider sits or stands atop, such as a Jet Ski or WaveRunner. Kayaks, canoes and other traditional motorboats would not be impacted, according to FWP. Under the proposal, personal watercraft would not be allowed on the section of Flathead River from the confluence of the South Fork near Hungry Horse to the Montana Highway 35 bridge in Evergreen. Other watercraft, such as motorboats, would still be allowed, but the proposal seeks to implement a restricted no-wake zone along that same stretch from June 1 to Oct. 15.
The petition also seeks to implement a no-wake speed on the Stillwater River from Upper Stillwater Lake to the confluence with the Flathead River. Personal watercraft would be prohibited along this stretch.
On the Whitefish River, a controlled no-wake zone would be implemented from JP Road to the confluence with the Stillwater River from July 1 through Sept. 15. Personal watercraft would be prohibited along this stretch, which connects to an existing section of river that is already prohibited to all motorboats.
On the Swan River, a year-round controlled no-wake speed zone would be established from its headwaters to the confluence with Lindbergh Lake, and from Lindbergh Lake to the mouth of Swan Lake.