The Ninth Annual Flathead Lake Honoring Day will be on Sept. 16 and is sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks under the guidance of the Flathead Lake and River Fisheries co-management Plan. The co-management plan was completed with extensive public involvement through the Flathead Reservation Fish and Wildlife Board, and will guide management from 2001-2010.
The purpose of the Lake Honoring event is to raise awareness of area high school biology students about water quality and fisheries issues.
The values and goals that are the focus for the honoring day include:
• Conserving native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout;
• Maintaining scenic beauty, high water quality and limiting nutrient input to the lake;
• Encouraging fisheries harvest of non-native lake trout and lake whitefish.
The lake honoring sponsors have supplies of the free, full color event booklet. The booklet includes; the schedule of events, a comprehensive fun facts quiz about Flathead Lake, and extensive information about Flathead Lake fisheries. Inserts also include lake statistics from the Flathead Lake Biological Station, and lake stewardship tips from the Flathead Lakers.
Events for the Sept. 16 honoring day are scheduled as follows:
10:00 a.m.: Introductions and welcome, Blue Bay fishing access site on the east shore of Flathead Lake.
10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: After the opening events, half of the student groups will travel to the Flathead Lake Biological Station for a discussion on the aquatic food web and water quality. The remaining groups of students will remain at Blue Bay for educational stations on water safety, water quality, fish populations, management issues, sampling and lake conservation. The groups then switch sites so all students experience all the stations.
For more information call Germaine White, CSKT, 675-2700; or John Fraley, FWP, 751-4564.