Lake surges to 300% of normal water flow as residents worry: 'We can't keep having damage like this'

In 2026, it's becoming increasingly normal to hear about unprecedented weather conditions on every end of the spectrum.

As the Flathead Beacon reported, Montana's Flathead Lake is one more part of the world contending with historic conditions. High temperatures and record-setting rainfall mean the lake is a foot away from being completely full, disrupting annual traditions like polar plunges, KPAX reported.

"We're fuller now than we've ever seen, than I've ever seen in my entire life at this time of year," Energy Keepers Inc. CEO Brian Lipscomb said, per the Flathead Beacon. EKI maintains the Se̓liš Ksanka Qĺispe' dam, which is responsible for overseeing the top 10 feet of the lake.

Those 10 feet hold 1.2 million acre feet of water, and recent conditions are complicating matters for residents concerned about flooding and dock damage. Nearly all of EKI's storage filled up in December.

"We received 238% of our normal precipitation, much of it falling as rain on existing snow," Lipscomb noted. "This sent inflows into Flathead Lake soaring to over 300% of normal."

While EKI did its best to control things, windstorms and the high water levels damaged the docks and boat lifts of locals.

"I know we can't predict Mother Nature and there was flooding downstream, but we can't keep having damage like this," resident Larry Menghini said, per the Flathead Beacon.

Conditions were driven by an atmospheric river and subtropical air. It's notable that while areas like Flathead Lake might be dealing with too much water, other areas like the Great Salt Lake are suffering from crippling drought.

Ski areas in Oregon and Idaho suffered a major snow drought with concerning implications for wildfires and water sources later this year. That is at the same time that many areas of the Northeast were battered by snowfall and extreme cold. Extreme weather is getting increasingly intense and unpredictable.

As for EKI, it has to be mindful of not just Flathead Lake, but how much water it sends to the Columbia River. If too much water goes there, areas near population centers like Portland are at risk for devastating flooding. 

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The long-term forecast indicates low precipitation in the future, and ironically, Lipscomb will have to make sure EKI doesn't let too much water go.

"We'll just continue to draft through the next three months until we get to the lowest point," he told the Flathead Beacon. "By then, we'll check the snow levels and make sure we have enough to refill."

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