Lakes Commission

08/27/2026

8/27/26 Silver Fire UPDATE
Key Message: Fire behavior intensified on the Silver Fire causing spotting over containment lines and increased growth. Due to safety concerns, firefighters that were inserted with helicopters during initial attack were extracted Wednesday evening as fire activity increased. Active burning occurred throughout the night and into Thursday morning. The fire has reached Silver Dollar Peak crossing into the next drainage and moved downslope to within ¼ miles of Pack River Road. Increased acreage is expected as more accurate mapping becomes available. Values at risk include recreation and transportation infrastructure, private land, timber lands, and prioritizing the safety of communities and first responders. Elevated fire weather conditions are expected over the fire area on Thursday.
Current Status: A Type 3 Incident Management Team has taken command of the Silver Fire as of 0600 Thursday. Indirect suppression tactics using the Chimney Rock Trail, Pack River Road and natural barriers such as large rock outcroppings combined with strategic water and retardant drops will be employed where there is a high probability of success. Additional suppression actions are being evaluated as the management of the fire transitions to the new incident management team.
Weather and Fire Behavior: Elevated fire weather conditions are expected Thursday with southwest winds 10-20 mph and gusts up to 25 mph, with relative humidity 22-30%. A cold front will push through early on Thursday and break down the high-pressure ridge. This will bring gusty southwesterly winds with elevated fire weather conditions on Thursday. The weather trends cooler with higher relative humidity Thursday through the weekend with a change of showers with isolated thunderstorms expected over northern Idaho on Saturday. Due to elevated fire weather conditions, fire behavior is expected to be active as topography, winds and receptive fuels align.

08/22/2026

High winds are expected around 4pm today in Bonner County. Please stay safe and off the water!

06/14/2026

Lake Pend Oreille is at Full Pool Today - June 14th, 2026

The Corps has officially stabilized Lake Pend Oreille at full pool today! Below is the email sent from the Corps.

Have a wonderful day and beautiful summer!

Current conditions:

Lake Pend Oreille elevation at Hope: 2,062.2 feet.
Albeni Falls Dam outflow: 30,000 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Albeni Falls Dam inflow: 39,000 cubic feet per second (cfs).


Changes and highlights:

Albeni Falls Dam outflow will increase from 30 kcfs to 34 kcfs today, June 14th at 1100 PDT.
Lake Pend Oreille has reached full summer pool, and the current operation is to maintain a lake elevation between 2062.0 and 2062.5 ft.


Albeni Falls Spillway Gate Replacement Project information can be found here:

Spillway Gate Replacement Project

Current lake conditions can be found here and clicking on Pend Oreille River Basin in the sidebar.

https://www.nwd-wc.usace.army.mil/nws/hh/www/index.html

The range of monthly inflow volume forecasts are provided by the Northwest River Forecast Center.

ESP Monthly Water Supply Volumes: PEND OREILLE - ALBENI FALLS DAM (noaa.gov)

06/02/2026

Northern Idaho agencies remind public about wakes and illegally placed buoys.

(SANDPOINT) – Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, Bonner County Parks and Waterways Department, and Idaho Department of Lands (IDL), remind boaters to follow local no wake zone laws and remind waterfront property owners to keep illegal buoys out of the water.

Bonner County ordinances create a no wake zone 200 feet from shore or structures on most public waters in the county. Bonner County Sheriff’s Office can issue citations to boaters violating the no wake zone ordinance, which may result in a fine of up to $150 for the first offense and $300 for a second or subsequent offense.

In addition, the Water Sports Industry Association recommends staying at least 200 feet from shoreline, docks, and other structures.

Lieutenant McGeachy of the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office stated, “Operating a boat within 200 feet of shore, docks, or structures can increase the likelihood of damage to the shoreline and property. Large wakes also have the potential to injure people in the water or on a dock. It is important that everyone operates their boats in a safe and responsible manner to avoid injuries or damage. Boat owners should also be reminded that they could be held civilly liable for damage caused by their wake.”

In response to boaters coming too close to docks and shorelines, some waterfront property owners have placed unpermitted buoys in the water to mark the no wake area.

Only governmental entities have the legal authority to put buoys in place. Buoys placed by private individuals are illegal and present navigational hazards. The Idaho Department of Lands may issue Notices of Noncompliance, seek a court injunction, and assess penalties up to $2,500 against individuals placing buoys on navigable waterways without a permit.

Boaters and waterfront property owners are encouraged to comply with state and local regulations, which is ultimately the key to ensuring everyone can safely enjoy the County’s beautiful lakes and rivers

A Press Release from the Marine Division along with other agencies are reminding the public about wakes and illegally placed buoys. Click on "NEWS RELEASE" document to enlarge. For more information contact:

Lt. Douglas McGeachy, Bonner County Sheriff’s Office | 208-263-8417 ext. 3125 |
[email protected]
Matt Zoeller, Bonner County Parks & Waterways Recreation Manager | 208-255-5681 |
[email protected]
Sharla Arledge, IDL Public Information Officer | 208-334-0286 | [email protected]

Thank you for keeping our waters safe.

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!