SEELEY LAKE — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is working with the owner of Owl Creek Dam, the Placid Lake Cabin Owners Association, after the structure began eroding and piping water underneath the concrete this week, causing slightly lowered lake levels and impacts to recreationists.
"This was kind of unexpected at the beginning of this week to start seeing water trickling underneath," FWP's Vivaca Crowser told MTN. "They're trying to move as quickly as they can. It sounds like some equipment is already staged out there by the dam, so maybe even here in the next few days they'll be able to take care of whatever needs to be done," Crowser added.
The dam also helps create a barrier between non-native fish species, such as northern pike and smallmouth bass, that exist in some areas downstream of Placid Lake but have not been detected in significant numbers in the lake. FWP is considering installing a temporary fish barrier until dam repairs are complete.
"It's something that through time we've been involved with when we've looked at fish passage issues or trying to keep fish out of the lake," Crowser detailed.
FWP removed the six-slip public boat dock at Placid Lake State Park on Wednesday, July 29.
"We’re just really trying to be proactive there in case water levels drop enough that it becomes tough to get the docks out. We remove those docks seasonally. They have to float them out," Crowser explained.
Renters who’ve previously reserved slips can get reimbursed.
"There's a daily rental fee and so if somebody had them already rented then we'd be looking to refund that," Crowser said.
The launch dock will remain in place, and the boat ramp is open. Boaters should use extra caution when launching and plan to load their boats daily instead of leaving them in the remaining docks.
"If the if the leak continues long enough, the water levels could continue to go down. We'll continue to monitor the boat ramp area and see if anything else needs to be done. For now, we're just saying the ramp is still safe to use. There's still the loading dock there. Just use extra caution," Crowser said."
FWP will continue to work with the dam owner to assess the situation for fisheries management and to monitor any additional adjustments that could be needed at the public boat launch.
