Here’s a good survey of river conditions and general flood forecasting from the Missoulian . . .
Now that the rivers have your attention, spend the next week getting ready for the real western Montana flood season.
While the Yaak and Fisher rivers around Eureka and Libby are nearing flood stage, the Clark Fork, Flathead and Bitterroot drainages may hold back another week before they really let go, according to National Weather Service warning coordinator Marty Whitmore.
Saturated soils and a delayed spring runoff are causing a lot of problems in the Flathead National Forest. In the North Fork, for instance, Hay Creek Road is closed due to a slump. Today’s Daily Inter Lake has the story . . .
Warming temperatures and snow melt are contributing to increased water levels in rivers and lakes, and saturated soils across the Flathead National Forest, especially on roads and trails.
Forest officials urge all forest users to use caution when encountering deep snow, downed trees, blocked roads and trails, wet and muddy conditions, or high and fast-moving water.
“We encourage all forest users to contact a local Forest Service office to obtain current information about road and trail conditions, access, and ideas for alternate travel routes,” said Denise Germann, the forest’s public affairs officer. “Recreationists on or near a river, stream or lake should use extreme caution as water levels may fluctuate quickly.”
Today’s Daily Inter Lake joins the chorus of folks saying nice things about Jack Potter on the occasion of his retirement . . .
Some reporters over the years have affectionately called him “Jack Pot,” because Jack Potter is a treasure trove of information for anything related to Glacier National Park.
Any type of animal, any plant, any place, any trail, any aspect of the park, Potter pretty much knows it all after a 41-year career in the park that came to an end with his recent retirement. But it really won’t come to an end, because Potter and his wife, Rachel, intend to carry on with volunteer work in the park for years to come.
“I just wanted to do something different,” said Potter, who was the park’s chief of science and resource management. “I just wanted to go out at a time when I was still enthusiastic about the job and still making a contribution.”
As mentioned earlier this month, Jack Potter, Glacier National Park’s Chief of Science and Resources Management, retired on May 2 after 41 years with the Park Service. Recently, Headwaters Montana posted a very nice article discussing Jack’s career and accomplishments . . .
On May 2 of this year, Jack Potter retired after 41 years with Glacier National Park, one of the few National Park Service employees to spend his entire professional career in one place. To many of us on the ‘outside’ of Glacier’s internal operations, Jack has been the conscience of the bureaucracy for Glacier’s safekeeping. The future challenges and threats facing Glacier are many and Jack’s vigilance and integrity will be hard to replace. It is fair to ask, “Who will be the next Jack Potter for Glacier?”
Referenced in the above article was a lengthy Park Science profile published last March, shortly before Jack’s retirement . . .
Resource managers who stay in one national park for their entire career, building and refining their knowledge of the place, exercising judgment, sharing insights, and defending park values are a rare thing in the National Park Service. Thus, we explore the long-tenured career of Jack Potter in Glacier National Park, Montana, as a way to learn from his experience, help preserve institutional memory, and celebrate his special contribution to the National Park Service.
According to an article in today’s Daily Inter Lake, some rivers in Northwest Montana are expected to reach or exceed flood stage this weekend. (The North Fork isn’t on the list, although the stage forecast for a week from now is suggestive.) . . .
Flooding is expected to start this weekend on some Northwest Montana rivers, but the National Weather Service is warning that it is just a beginning, with the highest flows on all rivers yet to come.
The forecast calls for continued warm weather over the weekend, with rain Sunday night and Monday and cooler weather next week that should level off flows on most rivers in the region, said Marty Whitmore, the warning coordination meteorologist in Missoula.
Glacier National Park is making steady progress with snow removal, but this year’s substantial snowpack and the continuing avalanche danger are limiting road openings. On the North Fork side, the Camas Road is open, as is the Inside North Fork Road from the ranger station to Big Prairie. All other roads are officially closed to vehicle traffic. See this weekend’s press release for details.
As expected, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission gave tentative approval to a fall wolf hunt at today’s meeting. The Flathead Beacon has the story . . .
Montana wildlife officials tentatively approved a plan Thursday to allow hunters to kill as many as 220 wolves this fall, marking the state’s first wolf management decision since Congress lifted endangered species protections.
The unanimous vote opens the door for the public to weigh in before the commission makes a final decision in July. It would be Montana’s second wolf hunt since 2009, when 72 wolves were killed, and state Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners appeared confident the 2011 hunt will be approved.
The National Weather Service has bumped up their local river flow forecasts a bit. Today’s Daily Inter Lake has a write-up . . .
The National Weather Service has once again accelerated flow forecasts for some rivers in Northwest Montana due to ongoing warm weather.
From today’s Missoulian (includes some nice photos) . . .
The birds are back.
Despite a brutal spring and oil slicks on many wintering areas, western Montana’s migratory flocks look healthy as they repopulate the ponds and potholes of their summer nesting grounds.
From today’s Missoulian . . .
A warming trend is expected to continue as high pressure resides over the Northern Rockies, according an alert issued by the National Weather Service on Wednesday. Small streams across western Montana are already near or at bank-full, the Weather Service said.