Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association
Announcements
Be Bear Aware
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 during the summer meeting. 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.
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.
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If you have an emergency. please dial 911
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
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Phone: 911
The Lake
Georgetown Lake Update – March 24, 2025
Current Lake Elevation - 6428.77 ft
(Provisional Data from Georgetown Lake near Philipsburg, MT - USGS Water Data for the Nation)
The water surface elevation is about average for this time of year (maybe slightly less), based on 80 years’ worth of lake elevation data. The lake remains frozen.
Elevation and Inflows
Lake elevation continued to increase throughout February, however, since around Feb. 18 the lake level has remained consistent meaning outflows are matching inflows. Outflows were increased from 10 cfs to 15 cfs in February, this has coincided with a slight drop in inflows throughout March (the 1-week and 2-week average inflows are about 15-16 cfs). In February, the lake gained 446 acre-feet. February average monthly outflows of 12.5 cfs were less than inflows making the average total lake inputs equal to 20.5 cfs. The inflows were 88% of normal for February.
Precipitation
The Peterson Meadows SNOTEL site accumulated 2.4 inches (109% of normal) in February. Currently, the SNOTEL is showing 9.6 inches of snow water equivalent (107% of normal). The Warm Springs SNOTEL site, which gives an idea of the higher elevation precipitation conditions, accumulated 5.6 inches of precipitation (175% of normal). As of today, Warm Springs is reading 20.9 inches of snow water equivalent (109% of normal).
Climate Forecast
The latest CPC climate forecast (created March 20, 2025) shows average air temperatures and average precipitation for the 1-month outlook. A slight chance of below normal precipitation is also predicted for the 3-month outlook for SW Montana. The 1-week forecast for Philipsburg shows a couple days of very warm temps (60’s F) followed by mostly highs in the 40’s F. However, the lows are forecasted to be slightly above or at freezing. There is a chance of rain early next week.
Model Forecast
The NRCS has released their March Water Supply Forecasts for stream gages across MT. They are predicting (granted this is early on still) approximately normal streamflow for Flint Creek during spring runoff. Since March is almost over, I used the observed inflows as input (which are about 60% of normal). For April, based on the NRCS forecast and the observed net inflows over the last few months, I used a conservative estimate of 85% normal inflows. I left the outflows set to their current level of 15 cfs. For the spring runoff season, I increased the inflow percentages to 90% (still conservative), to better represent the current snow conditions (which are above normal based on SNOTEL sites). Under these simulated conditions the lake could fill by May with plenty of wiggle room for various outflow scenarios.
Additionally, I ran the proposed increase of outflows (from 15 cfs to 20 cfs) to see the effects, which are shown below in the second graph. Assuming all conditions hold over the next 2-months, there is a chance the lake would still fill with the increased inflows. You will notice that the average outflows in May would need to be decreased from 38 to 28 in order to account for these higher releases. Which means depending on weather and inflows, outflows from May 1 – 15 might need to be lowered to ensure 30 cfs after May 15.
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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.
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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.
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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.