As water levels on Echo Lake continue to rise and threaten septic contamination, the Flathead County commissioners are weighing whether to enact an emergency no-wake rule.
The commissioners are meeting on Wednesday, June 27 at 10 a.m. at the Flathead County Courthouse to discuss the issue and determine if an emergency exists according to state law. Montana Code Annotated 2-4-303 reads, “An emergency rule may be adopted only in circumstances that truly and clearly constitute an existing immanent peril to the public, safety, or welfare that cannot be averted or remedied by any other administrative act.”
The meeting will be open to the public. A notification will be announced in advance of any change in boating restrictions on the lake.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been monitoring rising water levels on Echo Lake throughout spring to establish baseline levels. Earlier this week, the water level was only nine inches below the causeway and has been rising at a rate of more than 1.5 inches per day.
Last year, the FWP Commission placed an emergency no-wake rule on the lake when the water topped the causeway. One of the major concerns was water contamination caused by flooding of septic systems and drain fields.
FWP Warden Captain Lee Anderson is cautioning boaters to stay well away from the shoreline. Boaters should minimize the boating wake to reduce waves and impacts on the shorelines. Anderson has received numerous calls supporting or opposing the imposition of a no-wake rule on the lake, according to FWP.