Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association
Announcements
The Georgetown Lake Homeowners Annual meeting was held on Saturday August 22, 2026 at 12:00 at the Fire House on Fire Lane.
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 – October 21, 2026
Current Lake Elevation - 6428.69 ft
(Provisional Data from Georgetown Lake near Philipsburg, MT - USGS Water Data for the Nation)
The water surface elevation is above average for this time of year based on 80 years’ worth of lake elevation data.
Elevation and Inflows
Since my last update in August, summer inflows to Georgetown ranged from far below average in August to normal in September. Outflows and draw-down on the reservoir have remained steady meeting the required irrigation outflow. August ended with inflows at about 41% of average. During September, the lake lost 565 acre-feet of storage. With average monthly outflows of 30.7 cfs, the total inflow to the lake is estimated at 21.2 cfs for September, which is 97% of average. So far, inflows for October have been around 70% of average with a few notable precipitation events that increased the lake level slightly. Inflows are estimated to be between 15 and 20 cfs in October.
Precipitation
The Peterson Meadows SNOTEL site accumulated above average precipitation in August (1 inch, 125%) and September (2.8 in, 156%). So far, precipitation is below average for October at this station. The Warm Springs SNOTEL site, which gives an idea of the higher elevation precipitation conditions, has seen a similar trend with normal precipitation in August (1.1 in, 92%) and above average in September (3.6 in, 164%). This station is also below average so far for October. On October 11, both stations experienced the first accumulated snowfall of the season which is slowly melting.
Climate Forecast
The latest CPC climate forecast for Western Montana (created October 20, 2026) shows near average air temperatures and normal to slightly above average precipitation for the rest of October and first week of November. The local weather in Philipsburg does not have much precipitation for the next 10 days. Temperatures are projected to drop to the 40s or 50s for the highs and 30s to below freezing for the lows.
Model Forecast
I used the end of September lake elevation to start this model run. Based on conditions seen this month, data at the DNRC NF Flint Creek stream gage, and long-range forecasts, I used 60% of normal inflows for October. For the rest of 2026 I went with 50% of normal to evaluate the effect of low flows for the rest of fall. Given that the lake is above average, even with just 50% of inflows for the rest of 2026, the 10 cfs minimum release is likely to keep the lake level above 6428.50 ft until we have more information on how winter conditions will develop and what that will mean for spring of 2027.
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.
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.