Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-19
MISS 0uLA VIEWS
Branch Office Inter Mountain Publish
ing Co., 1876 Higgins avenue.
FLATHEAD LAKE
PHOTOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION
BY U. s. GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY,
WILL RECLAIM MANY ACRES.
Control Of Level of Lake-Banquet
Given to the Victors.

01Veu TO Cue v1CCOTS.
Missoula, May IS, 1900.
The start in the work of studying the
changes of the level of the Flathead lake
that was made lately by Professor Fred
D. Smith of the State university has
aroused much interest in the character
of the lake and the and surrounding it.
residents of the Flathead valley are
interested in the problem, as the
is one that concerns the
PROCLAMATION of many thousands of acres
lof and around the upper end Of the lake,
which forms a part of the Flathead val
Hey. The lower end of the lake, being a
part of the Indian reservation, is not
concerned in the question, as the land, if
any is to be recovered. is not made use
of at all. The effect of a sudden rise Of
the level Of the lake can be easily UNDER
stood when it is stated that the Flat
head river, which flows from kalispell
across the level plain to the lake re
aquires about 30 miles of length to make
the direct distance of Is miles. The
banks of the river are scarcely 10 feet
above the level of the river at low water,
and less than that in many of the low
places. The water flows in a slow slug
gish stream across this plain with very
little fall, as it is practically a bayou or
arm of the lake. Along the north shore
" IN iohC liz ldllu olOpCo WHY
gradually into the water, with no we'll
defined shore limit. The whole Flathead
valley is then one immense plain, which
was formerly the bottom of the lake
when at it's higher stages. 1t is drained
by the river referred to, which carries
the whole drainage of the northwestern
part of the state. The outlet of the AXE
at it's southern end is the Pend d'Oreille
river, which takes the water after it's
flow of 25 miles across the lake. During
the course of ten months of the year.,
from March to December. the AXE will
change it's level from 10 to IA feet.
1t probably reaches it's low stage at Oc-
tober first and remains stationary until
April 18th, when it will begin to rise un-
TIL abo July LIST. If the level Of the lake
would remain at the lowest point almost
all he land of the Flathead valley that is
uncovered during the low stages of the
flake would be not only tillable, but the
most valuable of the whole valley. Not
only would this be true, but the contig-
fuous territory would be much enhanced
in value by the increased facilities for
drainage. 1T has been estimated that In
this way some thousands of acres Of land
now practically worthless being either
uncleared Or deserted would be-
come productive and very valuable. If
lthds were done the value of the lake as a
health and pleasure resort would be in
CFcASeu HldNy IOtu IIUWIl IIG IACI thai u1G
breeding places of mosquitoes hat now
infest the lake districts of Incompetent
sible quantities would be destroyed and
the woods and lake side ridded of the
pest. It is a very certain fact that Mon
tana citizens do not realize what a beau
tiful summer resort this lake a be mad
and with good connections with Butte,
Helena, Great Falls and other cities of
the state the people shoul flock to this
lake and enjoy a summer outing such as
can be found not else where in the north
west. This lake is a veritable Saratoga
of Montana.
1t is not to be wondered then that the
Flathead county citizens are extremely
anxious that something should be done
looking toward a control of the level of
the lake. The reclamation of several
thousand acres of valuable ranch land,
the insurance of many thousands acres
more, the determination of the mosquito
pest and the development of the lake as
a urnlne resort are certainly no small
advantage to be obtained for his county.
Private funds cannot be made applica-
BILE, involving as the object does such
manifold problems of waterways, HYDRO
graphy and meteorology. Requests have
often been made of the government thai
the work shoul be at least studied by
the government engineers. Through the
efforts of Senator Carter. who is always
anxious to aid his state and It's citizens,
the United States geological surve has
started to investigate the matter in a