Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association
Announcements
The GLHA 2024 Summer Luncheon was help held at the Fire House on Fire Lane, Saturday, August, 10 2024 at 12:00 Noon. If you have questions, comments or concerns please contact the Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association at G.L.H.A.INC@outlook.com.
Invited Guest Speakers:
Cameron Rasor District Ranger for the Pintler Ranger District
88 Business Loop
Philipsburg, MT 59858
Phone:(406) 859-3211
Cameron discussed the role of the Forest Service as a resource management agency. Other agencies have road maintenance and construction as part of their mission. That said, Cameron has been working with the Granite County Commissioners to resolve issues with Lakeshore Drive.
Brad Balis, FWP Bear Management Technician, Region 2 Wildlife, Office Phone: 406.542.5500
Cell Phone: 406.465.9343
Email: Brad.Balis@mt.gov
FWP.MT.GOV
https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/be-bear-aware
Brad spoke about bears in the area. Most of the bear problems occur due to garbage being left unattended. This time of year the bears are trying to put on fat for the winter. Please secure your trash or carry it with you when you leave. The main attractants for bears are garbage, pet food, bird feeders and bird seed. It is our responsibility to keep attractants away from bears. Also, please secure your barbecue by putting it in a shed or in your garage when you leave.
Dan Villa, new board member, spoke to the group and announced his candidacy for the Granite County Commission.
Fred Bjorkland 406.560.3260, spoke about the increasing responsibilities of the Georgetown Lake Volunteer Fire Department. He also pointed out that volunteers are needed.
Click Here to View the GLHA Luncheon Brochure
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 – September 19, 2024
Current Lake Elevation 6428.21 (PROVISIONAL DATA from USGS gage 12325000)
The water surface elevation is approximately normal for this time of year, based on 80 years’ worth of lake elevation data.
Elevation and Inputs
Lake elevation in August was lower than recent years but tracking normal for the long-term average. Hotter, drier conditions in late summer have resulted in VERY low inflows to the lake. August saw slight improvement in inflows compared to July, but still had a comparable decrease in lake level from 6428.88 ft at the end of July to 6428.41 ft by August 31. Inflows for August were significantly below the long-term average. The lake lost 1398 acre-ft of storage last month. August average monthly outflows of 30.5 cfs were more than inflows making the average total lake inputs equal to 7.72 cfs. The inflows were 36% of normal for July.
Estimated daily inflows in August were again low enough that net inputs to the lake were near zero for a good portion of the month (meaning evaporation and seepage were higher than surface inflows). The first two weeks of September have seen improvement, as is typical this time of year as night-time temperatures are dropping and evaporation losses start to decrease. The net inputs are estimated between 11 and 15 cfs since September 1.
Precipitation
Precipitation patterns improved in August compared to July. The Peterson Meadows SNOTEL site accumulated 1.3 inches (163% of normal) in August. The Warm Springs SNOTEL site, which gives an idea of the higher elevation precipitation conditions, accumulated 1.3 inches of precipitation as well (108% of normal).
Climate Forecast
The latest CPC climate forecast (created September 18, 2024) shows average air temperatures and average precipitation for the 1-month outlook. A slight chance of above normal precipitation is predicted for the 3-month outlook. The 1-week forecast for Philipsburg shows temps with highs in the 60’s and lows getting below freezing. There is a slight chance of rain into the weekend.
Model Forecast
Lake elevation is currently tracking with my last prediction from August. The predicted end of August lake level was 6428.41 and observed value was 6428.41, meaning inflows followed an expected trend. This will likely continue into the fall unless there is a major amount of precipitation. The water surface elevation sits at 6428.21 feet as of today (9/19/2024). I used the end of August lake level of 6428.41 ft for this model run. Based on August inflows, NRCS June-September water supply forecasts, and DNRC’s stream gage data I am using 50% of normal for inflows. This value accounts for the slight improvement in inflows we have seen so far in September continuing to the end of the month. DNRC’s stream gage on the NF Flint Creek is still showing significantly lower flows this year when compared to the historic record. With the lake not filling this year and the exceptionally low inflows, it is likely that following October 15, outflows will likely need to decrease to the minimum outlined in the FERC license (or lower) to maintain or fill the lake before freezing.
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.