My Concern is Strictly Personal

I’m losing hope.

Until about a week ago I remained optimistic that Fort Peck Lake would rise. There was even a span of six days early this month when it did come up a tiny bit. Then it fell again, and although it was only a miniscule drop -- .01 of an inch -- it quit rising for a few days.

Since the first of March, the lake level has varied little more than a foot.

While news reports documented extremely low water levels upstream at Canyon Ferry Reservoir this spring, late snows and heavy rains filled it to nearly full pool by July.

The Yellowstone River experienced historic flooding last month, but the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers is downstream from Fort Peck. Reservoirs on the Missouri in North Dakota filled with the runoff.

Downtown Helena flooded last month, but that water is yet to reach us, probably floating someone else’s boat in Holter or Hauser lakes.

For months I’ve been checking a website that monitors the water level at Fort Peck. It includes a graph that in the past few days has flatlined.

My concern is strictly personal. Ours is the last dock in the bay. Past our dock there’s little water and the docks there are sitting on dry ground. A drop of another foot and we’re out of water, too.

It’s August now and we’ve had a boat tied at the dock for a month. I’m hoping for another month, but the Corps of Engineers, in all its wisdom, may have other plans.

I’ve convinced myself that this is a conspiracy. Blaming the Corps for low water levels is certainly more satisfying than accepting the reality of climate.

And why would climate change single out Fort Peck and not the other impoundments on the Missouri?

At least the lakeshore is still green. A couple of months ago it looked a bit like the shores of lakes Mead and Powell. But we’ve had enough rain that the exposed lake bottom sprouted and green vegetation now runs to the water’s edge.

When the grandkids visited last month the older ones could tip-toe across the bay to the other side. They’ll be back in a week and I suspect that the smaller ones may be able to wade across, too.

The last time I checked the website there was no change. The water level hadn’t gone up or down. At this point, that’s the best I can hope for.

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected]