Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Pend Oreille study says manipulated lake levels harm local economy; commissioners urge federal response
Summary
Ford Elsaesser presented a University of Idaho study finding that Army Corps and BPA management shortens Lake Pend Oreille's recreational season by "one third to one half" compared with nearby lakes and argued that a longer season would boost local tourism and revenue concentrated around Sandpoint.
Ford Elsaesser, chairman of the Lake Pend Oreille Basin Commission, presented the University of Idaho report 'Lake Pend Oreille Water Management: An Economic Analysis of Lake Level Impacts to Local Revenue' (January 2026), saying the study shows the "negative economic impact" of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville Power Administration manipulation of lake levels. Elsaesser told the committee that Lake Pend Oreille's recreational season is "one third to one half less than other lakes in the region" and that if the Corps maintained a higher season‑long level users could expect a full May–early October season comparable to other North Idaho lakes.
Committee members questioned ecological and management tradeoffs. Senator Okuniewicz expressed skepticism about how much influence the report would have on USACE, noting a longstanding adversarial relationship; Vice Chairman Hart asked whether lake level timing matters for fish habitat and Elsaesser replied that seasonal refill and drawdown did not negatively affect fish species in the lake. Elsaesser estimated the economic impacts concentrate around Sandpoint and extend roughly a 10‑mile radius, but emphasized frequent, unresolved disagreements with federal managers.
