For Immediate Release
Boaters advised of falling water levels on Whitefish Lake
Large watercraft and long trailers discouraged from launching at public ramps
KALISPELL — Lake levels on Whitefish Lake are dropping earlier than normal, and the public ramps at Whitefish Lake State Park and City Beach are approaching water levels that are too shallow to launch or take out large boats.
All boaters should take precaution when launching or taking out in low-water conditions at public ramps across the region.
Landowners with large boats docked on Whitefish Lake should monitor lake levels and consider taking out boats due to dropping lake levels.
Severe drought conditions, earlier-than-normal spring runoffs, and above-average hot, dry weather in summer have created lower-than-average stream flows and lake levels in northwest Montana.
Any time of year, boaters are discouraged from power loading, which damages boat ramps. Power loading involves using the boat motor to load your boat on the trailer which can erode sediment and dig large, hazardous holes at the base of the ramp. Boat trailer wheels can unknowingly back into these holes and get stuck or cause damage to the trailer. In extreme cases, the end of the ramp can collapse or shift into the hole, leaving the ramp unusable and causing the access to be closed.
Media contacts:
Carla Belski, City of Whitefish Parks and Recreation, 406-863-2473
Dillon Tabish, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 406-751-4564