Dam operators predict that Flathead Lake will remain within 12 inches of full pool throughout August following a month of unusually wet weather.

Energy Keepers, the tribal entity that manages the SKQ Dam at the southern end of Flathead Lake, previously predicted that the water level would fall 3 feet below full pool by Aug. 31 as a result of warm and dry spring conditions.

That forecast didn’t account for a deluge of summer rainstorms. Weather stations throughout the Flathead Basin reported 200-300% of average July rainfall, resulting in a late-season influx to the area’s rivers and streams. Unseasonably cool temperatures may have helped alleviate drought conditions and boost streamflow by reducing evaporation.

“The amount of rain we’ve gotten in the month of July is just unprecedented,

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