Letter to the Editor - Fresno not at normal levels

Editor,

No, Fresno Reservoir is not at normal water levels for this time of year. In a recent article in the Havre Daily News, a representative from the Bureau of Reclamation said, “Nelson Reservoir is looking great at the moment, Fresno is about normal, and Sherburne is pretty empty.” Fresno is currently 21.5 feet down at 2553 feet. For almost 40 years, the end-of-month September average for Fresno is 2561 feet. The water level for the end of September has only been this low five other times since 1985.

Fresno is not normal for this time of year

And for those who wonder about the fishery, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ recommendation to Reclamation states that “pool elevations below 2555.0 have been shown to be extremely detrimental to the entire fish community of Fresno Reservoir.”

The Bureau of Reclamation is the nation’s largest water seller. They are obligated to try and meet the needs of the irrigators. But they are also obligated to manage the nation’s waterways for everyone. This includes maintaining fisheries and recreation. The outdated 1903 authorization that created the Milk River irrigation system did not recognize the impact and importance of recreation.

We need to recognize the entire system needs taxpayer dollars to survive, but it also needs to be managed for everyone.

Reclamation has a million dollars to study the possibility of increasing Fresno storage. This is probably why they are currently conducting cultural and paleontological studies at Fresno, as mentioned in the HDN article. Reclamation’s spokesperson said the studies would help with future boat ramp repairs.

Unfortunately, if they move forward with increased storage at Fresno, the boat ramps won’t matter.

More water storage may seem like a good idea, but the downside is that increased storage will decimate all recreational facilities at the lake, including the boat ramps and the public beach areas. In fact, the entire ecosystem will resemble the barren beginnings of the original construction of Fresno Dam. Since the original authorization only requires Reclamation to maintain “minimum basic facilities,” which means a few pit toilets and turnarounds at the end of roads, it is likely recreation accommodations will never be rebuilt to their current status.

A possible solution for more water storage would be north of Fresno, but, once again, Reclamation’s outdated authorization does not allow for exploring this possibility. Let’s deal with the facts and move this project forward — for the irrigators and for everyone else.

Carolyn Anderson

Havre, MT