Lakes Commission

05/07/2026

Update: this file was continued until May: https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2026/mar/06/hope-zone-change-request-continued-to-may/

The Bonner County Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 10 AM on Thursday, March 5 in the Bonner County Administration Building, 1500 Highway 2 in Sandpoint, and by Zoom teleconference (https://www.bonnercountyid.gov/events/96080/).

The file is ZC0005-25– DOMAR – Rural 10 to Recreation. On October 23, the Zoning Commission recommended denying this application for a zone change of over a thousand acres from Rural 10 to Recreation, on the basis that the services and slopes did not meet the definitions of Recreation zoning. They noted that some of the land did, and some didn't, saying "it's a big ask." The Historical Society had provided comments saying that there are archeological reasons against developing in the area, but the Zoning board noted that they have to stick to code, and code doesn't say anything about archeology. Members of the public also noted that the area is within a wildlife preserve.

The project is located off Peninsula Road and Hope School Road within the service area of Sam Owen Fire District. Application files, including agency comments, are here: https://www.bonnercountyid.gov/FileZC0005-25

Written statements must be submitted to the planning department record no later than seven days prior to the public hearing. Written statements not exceeding one standard letter sized, single spaced page may be submitted at the public hearing. Statements can be e-mailed to [email protected].

05/06/2026

You're Invited -Lakes Commission Meeting

Please join us for our Spring meeting on Friday May 8th from 10am - 1pm at the Ponderay Event Center. The conference room is located on the 2nd floor next to Selkirk Glass (behind Sandpoint Furniture)

Since our last meeting, the Lake Pend Oreille Economic Impact Study was completed and estimated a significant economic loss to the community due to Lake Pend Oreille's short recreation season. We look forward to hearing from the authors of this study about their findings and methodology. In addition, we will also be hearing updates on LPO and Priest dam operations and water supply, the ongoing effort to remove invasive mussels from the Snake River, information on the federal reserve water rights claims letter that went out for the LPO and Priest Basins, and a study by IWRRI on adaptive reservoir management for LPO.

04/05/2026

A beautiful weekend to be out camping 🌲☀️

Fresh air and the sound of the river. There’s nothing better than slowing down and soaking up nature like this.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend just as much 💙🔥

04/02/2026

For those of you interested in aquatic invasive species. Tonight 6 - 7:30 pm
Sandpoint Organic Center - North Boyer

Reminder about our workshop tonight in Sandpoint!

03/30/2026

Please join us and our partners at the Idaho State Department of Agriculture for an update on Aquatic Invasive Species Management on Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River. Thursday, April 2nd from 6:00pm-7:30pm at the University of Idaho Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center.

03/30/2026

Idaho Fish and Game will temporarily close the Hawkins Point access site on Lake Pend Oreille near the Pack River Delta beginning April 1. The site is expected to reopen before the end of the month.

03/29/2026

It won't be long! Join us for a great time on the LPO!!

03/27/2026

3.25.26
Laclede Ferry Rd Public Boat Ramp Closure 3/30/26 - 5/2026:

The Laclede Water District will be closing down the public access to the boat launch area on Laclede Ferry Rd to install water intake pumps and equipment from 3/30/26 to the beginning of May 2026.

Thank you.

03/27/2026

Greetings All,
The elevation on Lake Pend Oreille today is 2054.57 https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/hopi1

The Pend Oreille/Clark Fork Watershed is experiencing an unusually high runoff for this time of year (early runoff). Lake Pend Oreille is expected to go above 2055' in the next week. The snow water equivalent and forecasts throughout the Pend Oreille/Clark Fork Basin vary, but currently the forecast into September is around 90%. As a reminder, the inflows to Lake Pend Oreille come primarily from the Montana watershed (approx. 90%). Keep in mind that when our local tributaries are flooding, that doesn't directly correlate to flooding on the lake.

For context on flood risk to Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River, the flood control elevation is 2056' as measured in Hope. This means the USACE cannot intentionally be above that elevation at the start of spring runoff, so it is possible full spring runoff is occurring now. We may see several flushes, but with the overall low snowpack throughout the basin, chances of that are lower.

There is a common misconception that Lake Pend Oreille is drawdown to its lowest elevation in the winter to prevent flooding or for kokanee spawning. In fact, the low drawdown is used by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for the ability to generate power (mostly at Grand Coulee Dam). The storage space between 2056'(mid) and 2062' (normal summer pool) is the space needed to capture flood waters, anything below 2056' does not reduce flooding impacts in a flood year. It is very unlikely this will be a flood year.

Save the Date for the next Lakes Commission meeting on Friday May 8th at the Ponderay Event Center from 10am to 1pm. Agenda forthcoming.
The USACE will also be hosting a public meeting the day before on Thurs May 7th at the Sandpoint Center ( next to Marigold Bistro) from 5pm to 7pm.

02/20/2026

Listen to Ford Elsaesser discuss the results of recent Lake Pend Oreille Economic Impact Study, during a presentation to the Idaho Senate Resource and Environment Committee

Ford Elsaesser, Chairman of the Lakes Commission presents the results of the Lake Pend Oreille Economic Impact Study on Lake Levels to the Idaho Senate Resou...

12/31/2025

The Center for Biological Diversity and the Idaho Conservation League filed a lawsuit earlier this month challenging a commercial marina and luxury housing development project located near Lake Pend Oreille and Sandpoint, Idaho.