Lakeside considers stormwater project

It looks like Lakeside residents will be following in the footsteps of their peers on the East Shore by working to tackle stormwater runoff issues in the area.

The Lakeside Water and Sewer District Board recently decided to examine the feasibility of establishing a stormwater runoff district, similar to Bigfork's.

"Bigfork has got a wonderful plan," said Tip Clark, a board member who volunteered to do the initial feasibility study. "They were pioneers in establishing this. It's such a good plan it will be used as a pilot plan everywhere else."

Clark said he's been able to talk to Sue Hanson, chair of the Bigfork Stormwater Advisory Committee, who has directed him toward resources and passed on some lessons her committee learned in the process.

Flathead County is currently negotiating the contract for final engineering on one of the initial stages of the Bigfork Stormwater Project, which has been in progress since 2007. The project aims to update Bigfork's infrastructure to prevent property flooding and the discharge of pollutants into Flathead Lake.

Clark is hoping a Lakeside plan could follow suit.

Through studies of Flathead Lake by the Flathead Lake Biological Station in 2001, Clark found that most of the pollutants into the Lake come from the Flathead River. A smaller amount comes from the Swan River and Bigfork Bay, leaving a very minimal percentage of pollutants that actually comes from communities like Lakeside, he said.

"Our situation on the other side (of the Lake) is not nearly as serious (as Bigfork's)," Clark said.

The study also highlighted Stoner Creek and found very negligible amounts of common pollutants.

But while it may not be a serious problem right now, as developments like Lakeside Club, which could involve up to 940 units, go into place and the population grows, there will be a need to protect the Lake, he said. Development has a tendency to cause or increase stormwater runoff.

Working on dealing with runoff now means tackling it before it becomes more of an issue.

"I'd like to stay ahead of the trend," Clark said. "It's a preventative measure."

While the initial focus of Bigfork's stormwater project is in its downtown bay area, Lakeside's targets are a little more spread out.

Stoner Creek would be a focus, since the highest volume of water flows through it to the Lake than the other creeks.

The other focus would be on the roads, parking lots and U.S. Highway 93 near the Lake that runoff directly into it or are sometimes funneled through an archaic stormwater drain system to a creek or the Lake.

Similar to Bigfork, the Lakeside stormwater system is uncharted. Clark said he has not been able to determine or find records of when it was built, where all it is, it's condition or where it comes out.

The sewer district is very sensitive to doing anything that may increase rates and so is sticking clear of costs.

"We're walking very carefully toward anything," Clark said. "We want to walk before we run."

Clark is adamant that no water and sewer district rate-payer money is being used toward this endeavor because "it's not their responsibility."

But, with the quality of the lake being its primary obligation, the district's board was a good place to start looking into it.

To get started, Clark has been speaking to other organizations and boards with interests in the issue.

The next step will be establishing a Lakeside Stormwater Advisory Committee similar to Bigfork's, which would focus on the issue and provide recommendations to the Flathead County Commissioners.

This will require several volunteers from the Lakeside area, preferably with expertise in water quality fields. Those interested can contact Clark or the Lakeside Water and Sewer District.

Another step will be working to secure grant funding to do preliminary engineering work.

"We're working slowly to do it right and following the lead of Bigfork," Clark said.

For more information or to get involved, call the Lakeside Water and Sewer District at 844-3881.