Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association
Announcements
Help protect our bears this Spring!
Visit www.peopleandcarnivores.org/bearsmart to learn about protecting our bears,
Services
Georgetown Lake Volunteer Fire Department
The fire hall can now host your community events including meetings and weddings. Please contact Fred to discuss your ideas as to how you might use the fire hall.
Fred Bjorklund, Fire Chief
406-560-3260
Anaconda Sheriff Dept
Please call 911 if a crime is in progress, someone is hurt or threatened, a weapon has been used or is present, or for any other emergency situation.
If you have an emergency. please dial 911
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Phone: 911
The Lake
GEORGETOWN LAKE UPDATE – April 9, 2024
Current Lake Elevation 6428.93 (PROVISIONAL DATA from USGS gage 12325000)
The water surface elevation is much higher than normal for this time of year, based on 80 years’ worth of lake elevation data.
Elevation and Inputs
The lake elevation has remained high through March. Since the beginning of March, the lake elevation decreased from 6429.01 ft to 6428.81 ft. Granite County has been operating under a Temporary Modification all winter and into the spring so that outflows can exceed 10 cfs and more closely match inflows. In March, the inflows decreased to below normal for the long-term March average. The lake lost 595 acre-ft of storage last month. March average monthly outflows of 31.3 cfs were greater than inflows making the average total lake inputs equal to 21.58 cfs. The inflows were 77% of normal for March. Estimated daily inflows were stable for most of March (around 20 – 22 cfs). The last 10 days of the month saw localized weather events that created large daily spikes in inflows. For the week of April, inflows were very high due to recent precipitation, this caused the lake elevation to increase from the end of March value of 6428.81 to 6428.93.
Precipitation
Significant precipitation from March 20 to March 31 and April 4 to April 9 has improved snowpack conditions to approximately normal conditions at lower mountain elevations. The Peterson Meadows SNOTEL site accumulated 3.0 inches of precipitation in March (which was 115% of normal for the month). Snowpack currently is at 10.1 inches which is 94% of normal for this time of year. The Warm Springs SNOTEL site, which gives an idea of the higher elevation precipitation conditions, accumulated 3.2 inches of precipitation in March (89% of normal). Warm Springs currently has 17.7 inches of Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), which is 84% of normal for start of April.
Climate Forecast
The latest CPC climate forecast (created April 5, 2024) shows above average air temperatures and about average precipitation for the 1-month and 3-month outlooks. The 1-week forecast for Philipsburg is showing warming temps, by the end of the week with highs in the 60’s and lows above freezing. There is a chance of rain today and tomorrow and not much precipitation after that.
Model Forecast
The water surface elevation sits at 6428.93 feet as of today (4/9/2024). I used the end of March lake level of 6428.81 ft for this model run. Given the current inflows and projected weather over the next few months, I am using 85% of normal for inflows. This value most closely matched the inflows averaged between March (70-80%) and the first bit of April (>100%). This model run includes the outflows under Granite County’s current Temporary Modification throughout March. Spring runoff is looking better based on snowpack conditions (higher elevations are still lacking). With outflows of 25 – 30 cfs for the month of April, the model does not show a major impact to lake level with an overall increase by the end of the month.
Todd Blythe, Montana DNRC; Water Sciences Bureau; 406-438-0717; todd.blythe@mt.gov
Wildlife
Protecting Montana's Waters
John O'Bannon AIS Area Supervisor for Southwest Montana, with the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks AIS Bureau, Presented a slide show on protecting Montana's lakes, rivers and streams from invasive mussels, snails and fish at the August Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association meeting and BBQ.
For more information please contact:
John O'Bannon
406.210.5054
john.o'bannon@mt.gov
cleandraindrymt.com
To help stop the spread of invasive aquatic species:
1. Help spread the Clean, Drain, Dry message
2. Boats traveling on the Interstate should be inspected prior to launch
3. Aquarium dumping must be STOPPED! Aquariums fish and plants can cause serious damage to our lakes and streams.
Help Protect Our Bears
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Help us prevent conflicts with bears around Georgetown Lake. People and Carnivores is available to help any resident with information and resources on how to reduce the chance for conflicts with bears at your home and in your neighborhood.
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For information on resources including bear-resistant garbage canisters, contact Kim Johnston, large carnivore specialist, 406-599-9424 or email kjohnston@peopleandcarnivores.org
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Visit www.peopleandcarnivores.org/bearsmart to learn more.
At Home Bear Safety Toolkit
We developed one toolkit for Homeowners & Residents in Bear Country with a flyer with bear aware information, a bear-safe property checklist, information on where to get bear-resistant garbage canisters and other resources to reduce conflicts with bears.
Vacation Rentals in Bear Country toolkit
We also created a toolkit for vacation rental properties, that has information for the property owner along with materials they can put in the rental for their guests with reminders to not leave attractants outside. We've seen a growing number of vacation rental properties where guests are leaving coolers on the porch and leaving the trash cans overflowing and not locking the lids, even when they have bear-resistant cans. We created stickers to go on the bear cans with a reminder for guests to keep them locked and not overfill, along with a magnet and other materials with helpful tips.
Montana Sport Fish Consumption Guidelines
What you need to know about Mercury, PCBs, and other contaminants when fishing in Montana. This guide provides information about how to enjoy healthy meals from wild fish caught in Montana.
It provides specific scientific data about the water bodies which have been tested, plus more general information for areas that have not yet been tested.
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For more information contact Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks
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For information on collection and laboratory testing of fish from Montana waters, call MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks at 406-444-2449.
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For information on the health risks of eating fish, call MT Health & Human Services 406-444-2837 or email: HHSFCS@mt.gov.
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Or visit the MFWP website at www.fwp.mt.gov/fishing
Gallery
What does the Georgetown Lake Homeowner’s Association do for our community?
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Water Management: We are on a committee that advises Granite County on lake management. We cosponsored and participated in a Clean Lake Study to assure our lake is healthy. It is!
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Homeowners at the lake wanted a “soft touch” zoning or development rules so we guided that process through meeting and hearings until that was achieved. ( 3 years).
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Wildlife Management issues: We work closely with FWP and other groups to address wildlife issues in our area. This includes public presentations and promoting good management practices such as bear proof garbage cans.
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We support the Georgetown Lake Fire Department with equipment donations and funding for equipment for the Emergency Response Unit.
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We have had a member sit on the Granite County Planning Board to guide development at the lake.
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GLHA holds two meetings at the lake every year to keep members informed of current issues. There are usually speakers from various agencies to inform us on topics of interest.
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GLHA has a representative sit on the Granite County Watershed Committee. This group is designed to preserve and protect the watershed including Georgetown Lake. They also promote maintaining our rural lifestyle.
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GLHA also shares in the cost of maintaining a USGS flow gauge on Flint Creek. This measures the water coming out of Georgetown Lake on a real time basis. This enables us to monitor management of the reservoir by Granite County.
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GLHA offers a $1,000.00 reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of person or persons damaging a member’s property.
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We welcome new members to help us with these endeavors. The cost of membership is $50. You can send a check to GLHA, PO Box 643 , Anaconda, Montana 59711. Include your address at the lake and for future mailings, email is appreciated also.