Swan Lakers is a
NON PROFIT organization.  CONTRIBUTIONS
are appreciated  and will be used to provide information to the community and for legal representation, if needed, to protect  the Swan Lake ecosystem and the rural character of the area.


 Swan Lakers
P.O. Box #399
Bigfork, MT 59911
(406) 837- 4511

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Swan Lakers 
Swan Lakers
Welcome to our website.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." 

Membership and Contribution Information
Any Level of Support is appreciated
 Printable, downloadable MEMBERSHIP /CONTRIBUTION FORM
 or email info@swanlakers.org
Swan Lakers

Today is Friday, January 27, 2012

 

Draft floodplain maps for Lake county and other information are now up on the county FTP site:   ftp://lakecounty-mt.org/Floodplain/ . 

 

 

 

 

  WATER QUALITY UPDATE…Fourth and final sampling for the year was completed on Oct. 18th.  We will post more information as it comes in.

Chilly, but beautiful morning on Swan Lake!

The Whitefish Lake Institute has completed four sample visits on Swan Lake for 2011.  During each sample event, water quality parameters are collected from eight sites on the lake.  At two of those sites, more in-depth water chemistry samples are collected for laboratory analysis.  The last remaining site visit will occur in mid-October.  This year, the Swan Ecosystem Center has partnered on the project to fund additional water chemistry samples, in addition to the October sample event.  The October sampling is significant to describe the diminishing dissolved oxygen concentrations near the lake bottom.

Swan Lake has lower than expected dissolved oxygen levels in the bottom of the lake during the summer/fall stratification period. There are possible hypothesis for this occurrence including; enhanced productivity caused by watershed activities, organic material input from the watershed (probably wetlands), in-place lake sediment interface with the water column, and the general shape and form of the lake (or a combination of variables.) Without further analysis it is currently difficult to provide an exact opinion. Follow this link for the first summary of the water quality monitoring project. This monitoring project is a joint effort between the Swan Lakers and the Kootenai Lodge Estates and is being conducted by the Whitefish Lake Institute.  The Swan Ecosystem has agreed to augment the study for the next two years with an additional sample event at the end of October.  In addition, they will also cover a benthic sample for chemistries that are associated with low dissolved oxygen and increase the reporting time to provide a better product.  This is good news for the project and the resource!

Follow this link for the SWAN ECOSYSTEM CENTER website:  http://www.swanecosystemcenter.org/

AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES (AIS) is a serious and growing problem across our country, paricularly where there is a concentration of waterways.  It is important for each of us to help increase awareness of AIS and share resposibility for controlling their spread.  The Northwest Montana Lakes Volunteer Monitoring Network is a partnership between Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, the Flathead Basin commission and the Whitefish Lake Institute.  Recently Swan Lakers donated $1,500. to Lake County Environmental Health to participate as a funding partner for the Flathead Basin AIS consultant.  We encourage you to get involved and volunteer in this effort.

SWAN RIVER GAUGING STATION:  click on this link to see up to date information on the river flow: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mt/nwis/uv?12370000

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