Down, but not out
By Stu Merry, BHG News Service
The summer recreation season is just around the corner. Fresh in people’s minds are visions of a Lake Sakakawea bulging at the seams, full of water. It was only two years ago that the gates on the Garrison Dam were opened to release an over abundance of water. There’s no need to worry, the lake will be full for years to come. Right? If you ask Kelly Sorge, owner of Indian Hills Resort, the lake is a shadow from what it was two years ago. “Many people don’t realize that the water is as low as it is,” she said. “They assume since we were at the high just a few years ago, there is no reason for concern.” Sorge said it’s a form of sticker shock when visitors take the winding road to Indian Hills and get their first close-up look at the lake. “There are always those who … can’t believe there eyes,” she added. Unless there is a significant change in snowfall totals in the next few weeks, or heavy rainfall, it’s pretty evident that earlier projections by the Corps of Engineers for a minimal rise in Lake Sakakawea this summer will hold true. Corps officials said April can produce major snowfalls that would help quench the thirst of the big lake. The average peak date for mountain snowfall in Montana is April 15.
