Lakes commission hears updates on fisheries, Albeni Falls

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SANDPOINT — An Idaho Lakes Commission meeting Tuesday saw updates on Albeni Falls dam operations, as well as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects and fishery updates.

David Bogema, hydraulics engineer for the USACE, said the corps plans to fill Lake Pend Oreille to 2,060 feet by the end of May, and reach 2,062 feet by mid-June.

Due to below-average snowpack at 85% of what an average year would look like, Bogema said, there’s a low flood risk.

Several board members said they would like to see the lake filled faster, given the lower chance of flooding, to make the most of the recreational season. Several noted they would like to see the lake over 2,060 feet by Memorial Day.

Despite the decreased snowpack, and risk of flooding, Bogema said, weather conditions for late May into June are still unknown.

“[There is still] potential for rain,” he said. “We just have to be careful in balancing those flood risk mitigation obligations.”

Robin Fox, a service hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, said precipitation this year has been less than usual in the northern Idaho panhandle and northeastern Washington, with roughly 70-80% of the average precipitation.

Overall in the Priest River area, precipitation was above average from mid-October to November, dry in early December and wetter than normal late December into January, which helped build up snowpack. However, mid-February through April was drier than usual.

Snowpack reached around 71% of its average, Fox said, with 85% of the normal runoff as the spring and summer session approaches.

“[There was an] increased drought area and increased abnormally dry areas,” she said. “We could see the seasonal outlook of drought persist through the summer season.”

In Priest Lake, the area also saw a reduction in precipitation and snow water equivalent (SWE).

“We’re really maintaining below our average SWE, around the 30th percentile,” said Kara Ferguson with the Idaho Department of Natural Resources. “March’s total for Bunchgrass Meadow was 44% of its average.”

April was 38% of its average, she said, although SWE was less drastically reduced at 81%.

Meanwhile, at Priest Lake the thoroughfare project that started in the fall of 2020 has been completed, said Neely Miller with IDWR. Prior to the dredging, several recreators had gotten boats stuck in the accumulated sediments.

Work on the outlet dam will also affect the ability to keep the lake at the usual 3.5 feet authorized during dry years, he said.

Taylor Johnson, chief of natural resources at the USACE Albeni Falls, said some of the projects at the dam have included spillway repairs and chain repairs.

“We were starting to experience some chain failures, [so] we jumped right on that,” he said.

Another project the USACE is working on is addressing erosion at Strong Island.

That project will require materials to be moved upriver by barge, he said, closing off Albeni Cove for the summer.

Other corp areas will be available for picnicking and camping, and can be reserved in real time Johnson said.

There will be some reduced occupancy for picnic shelters, he said, and as per federal orders masks will be required inside and outside where social distancing cannot be maintained on corps properties.

Rob Ryan with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game also gave a fishery update at the meeting. Overall, he said, the most abundant type at the lake remains lake trout.

One change this year, Ryan said, is that the mysid shrimp the fish prey on have been declining in numbers, leading to skinnier fish.

“Generally mysid populations have been low and declining,” he said. “That’s concerning, because mysids make up the primary food for lake trout.”

The department has begun monitoring the lake trout, and have seen a roughly 10-15% decline in quality, he said. However, though the decline in mysid may make the lake trout less desirable for anglers, it doesn’t necessarily spell disaster.

“The lake trout are pretty resilient,” Ryan said. “Although they may be getting skinny, I don’t think there’s a jump to high mortality rates.”

The reason for the decline in mysid is also uncertain, he said, but it seems to be regional and not connected to specific water quality issues.

Anglers on Priest Lake can expect to continue to see an abundance of lake trout, but should expect declining flesh quality, Ryan said. They also may need to look in new areas to catch fish.

Other fish species can also be found, with an abundance of smallmouth bass, and a lower density of native Kokanee and Westslope Cutthroat.

One board member asked why the department hasn’t done more to restore native fish species. Although that possibility is something officials looked into, public feedback was mixed, Ryan said.

Roughly half the public surveyed said they wanted operations to stay the same, with another half expressing interest in some changes. Out of the second group, around 50% wanted more drastic changes to accommodate the native species, while the others expressed a preference for a balanced mix of native and non-native fish.

“We are navigating a variety of interests, and we haven’t had the support to [do something],” he said.

Board members also heard from Nic Zurfluh and Jeremey Varley with the Idaho Department of Agriculture on noxious weeds on invasive species

The department has continued to focus on preventing invasive species, Zurfluh said, and has inspected 10,000 boats this year.

The department has also started invasive species monitoring, he said, which includes looking for plankton and taking water samples from various sites to send to labs.

“We haven’t had any direct threats in your area or anywhere else in the state,” Zurfluh said.

The department is also doing public outreach to mitigate the risks, he said.

The department has also been working to mitigate noxious weeks, Varley said. Currently they are in the third and final year of treatment for curly-leaf pondweed in the northern end of the lake, which has impeded boat traffic.

Officials are also dealing with a smaller population of the weed in Coeur d’Alene near the Hagadone Marine Group, he said.