Early spring runoff ‘unusually high’ into Pend Oreille/Clark Fork Watershed

April 1, 2026

Lakes Commission: ‘Very unlikely this will be a flood year’

By Reader Staff

The Pend Oreille Lakes Commission reported that the Pend Oreille/Clark Fork Watershed is “experiencing an unusually high runoff for this time of year,” resulting in a projected lake level above 2,055 feet in the first week of April.

Snow water equivalent and forecasts throughout the basin are varied, but the current forecast is 90% into September.

Approximately 90% of all inflows to Lake Pend Oreille come from Montana, and, “Keep in mind that when our local tributaries are flooding, that doesn’t directly correlate to flooding on the lake,” the commission stated.

A map showing snow water equivalent percentages in the Lake Pend Oreille watershed. Courtesy image

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which regulates lake levels at Albeni Falls Dam, cannot intentionally keep the lake elevation above the flood control level of 2,056 feet during the onset of spring runoff — as measured in Hope — “so it is possible full spring runoff is occurring now,” the Lakes Commission stated, adding, “We may see several flushes, but with the overall low snowpack throughout the basin, chances of that are lower.”

What’s more, according to the commission, the public has a common misconception that the winter drawdown on Lake Pend Oreille is intended to reach its lowest elevation to prevent flooding or protect kokanee spawning. Rather, the seasonal drawdown is intended for Bonneville Power Administration to generate power.

“The storage space between 2,056 feet (mid-) and 2,062 feet (normal summer pool) is the space needed to capture flood waters; anything below 2,056 feet does not reduce flooding impacts in a flood year,” the Lakes Commission stated. “It is very unlikely this will be a flood year.”

The Corps will host a public meeting on Thursday, May 7 from 5-7 p.m. at the Sandpoint Center (414 Church St.), and the next Lakes Commission meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 8 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Ponderay Events Center (401 Bonner Mall Way).