Elbow Lake Situation
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Hey Everyone,
One of the important aspects of the programming and recreation of Camp Utmost is its use of the many area natural resources of the outdoors. Some of those activities include rafting, swimming and canoeing on nearby rivers and lakes which includes utilizing nearby Elbow Lake where Camp Utmost has a lease with Montana DNRC (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) for our swimming and canoeing area.
Elbow Lake is actually part of the Clearwater River and is formed by a rock weir which holds back the water kind of like a dam. What exactly is a weir and how is it different than a dam? Here’s the Greenbug Energy websites definition.
“A weir is an impervious barrier constructed across a river to raise the water level on the upstream side. In a weir the water overflows the weir, but in a dam the water overflows through a special place called a spillway.”
Why is this important and how does it affect Camp Utmost?
It has recently come to our attention that Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and DNRC are planning to remove the weir and without the weir Elbow Lake will be eliminated meaning that we will no longer have the swimming and canoeing which have been a part of Camp Utmost for almost 60 years.
This is a controversial action and there are valid arguments on all sides of the issue but the bottom line for us is it drastically affects Camp Utmost. We are urging as many people who will, to email the two main organization involved in this decision as well as our governor, state and local representatives and the county commissioners, to get involved and to halt this action until greater study and alternatives can be developed. We have listed all of the needed email addresses and a short message which can be used repetitively to each of the parties. Feel free to copy it word for word or to make additions as you’d like. Please help us and be in prayer. We know nothing happens outside of God’s will but we also believe we need to be proactive. The deadline for submitting comments for this is Tuesday October 29 which is only a few days away. Please don’t delay. It takes about 15 minutes to email all of them.
With sincere thanks!
Lloyd Dailey
Camp Utmost Director.
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Following is a sample message to write to each of the listed organizations, groups and individuals. You may use this exact wording and may do so repeatedly to each of those listed. Please send an email to as many as you can.
To whom it may concern:
I am writing in regard to the Elbow Lake weir located on the Clearwater River in Greenough, Montana, and the plans to remove it. Please consider and encourage an alternative to the pending decision and actions of removing the weir. As supporters and users of Camp Utmost, which leases property on Elbow Lake, our family has greatly benefited from Camp Utmost’s swimming and canoeing programs, which only exists because of the weir. Without this lake area, Camp Utmost will no longer be able to offer this important outdoor activity which is a critical part of the programming to more than 600 campers each summer. This also impacts many others with property along the lake shore as well as wildlife which rely on the existence of Elbow Lake in its current state. Please consider the many people and wildlife in our area who will be negatively impacted by its removal. Again, I urge you to encourage those making this decision to seek an alternative to this planned removal.
Sincerely,
(your name)
********************
One of the important aspects of the programming and recreation of Camp Utmost is its use of the many area natural resources of the outdoors. Some of those activities include rafting, swimming and canoeing on nearby rivers and lakes which includes utilizing nearby Elbow Lake where Camp Utmost has a lease with Montana DNRC (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) for our swimming and canoeing area.
Elbow Lake is actually part of the Clearwater River and is formed by a rock weir which holds back the water kind of like a dam. What exactly is a weir and how is it different than a dam? Here’s the Greenbug Energy websites definition.
“A weir is an impervious barrier constructed across a river to raise the water level on the upstream side. In a weir the water overflows the weir, but in a dam the water overflows through a special place called a spillway.”
Why is this important and how does it affect Camp Utmost?
It has recently come to our attention that Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and DNRC are planning to remove the weir and without the weir Elbow Lake will be eliminated meaning that we will no longer have the swimming and canoeing which have been a part of Camp Utmost for almost 60 years.
This is a controversial action and there are valid arguments on all sides of the issue but the bottom line for us is it drastically affects Camp Utmost. We are urging as many people who will, to email the two main organization involved in this decision as well as our governor, state and local representatives and the county commissioners, to get involved and to halt this action until greater study and alternatives can be developed. We have listed all of the needed email addresses and a short message which can be used repetitively to each of the parties. Feel free to copy it word for word or to make additions as you’d like. Please help us and be in prayer. We know nothing happens outside of God’s will but we also believe we need to be proactive. The deadline for submitting comments for this is Tuesday October 29 which is only a few days away. Please don’t delay. It takes about 15 minutes to email all of them.
With sincere thanks!
Lloyd Dailey
Camp Utmost Director.
********************
Following is a sample message to write to each of the listed organizations, groups and individuals. You may use this exact wording and may do so repeatedly to each of those listed. Please send an email to as many as you can.
To whom it may concern:
I am writing in regard to the Elbow Lake weir located on the Clearwater River in Greenough, Montana, and the plans to remove it. Please consider and encourage an alternative to the pending decision and actions of removing the weir. As supporters and users of Camp Utmost, which leases property on Elbow Lake, our family has greatly benefited from Camp Utmost’s swimming and canoeing programs, which only exists because of the weir. Without this lake area, Camp Utmost will no longer be able to offer this important outdoor activity which is a critical part of the programming to more than 600 campers each summer. This also impacts many others with property along the lake shore as well as wildlife which rely on the existence of Elbow Lake in its current state. Please consider the many people and wildlife in our area who will be negatively impacted by its removal. Again, I urge you to encourage those making this decision to seek an alternative to this planned removal.
Sincerely,
(your name)
********************
WHO TO SEND TO:
Click on the link and it will take you to where you can comment.
These first 2 are the determining organizations.
· Fish Wildlife and Parks: http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/environmentalAssessments/restorationAndRehab/pn_0174.html
· Montana DNRC: http://dnrc.mt.gov/contact-dnrc/email-dnrc
Montana Government
· Governor Steve Bullock: https://svc.mt.gov/gov/contact/shareopinion
· US Senator Steve Daines: https://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve
· US Senator Jon Tester: https://www.tester.senate.gov/contact/
· US Congressman Greg Gianforte: https://gianforte.house.gov/contact/email
Local Area and State Representatives:
· State Senator Sue Malek: senatormalek@gmail.com
· State Representative Mike Hopkins: Mike.Hopkins@mtleg.gov
Missoula County Commissioners: bcc@co.missoula.mt.us (does not always work)
Individual Missoula County Commissioners instead of above:
· David Strohmaier, Chair - dstrohmaier@missoulacounty.us
· Josh Slotnick - jslotnick@missoulacounty.us
· Juanita Vero - jvero@missoulacounty.us
Click on the link and it will take you to where you can comment.
These first 2 are the determining organizations.
· Fish Wildlife and Parks: http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/environmentalAssessments/restorationAndRehab/pn_0174.html
· Montana DNRC: http://dnrc.mt.gov/contact-dnrc/email-dnrc
Montana Government
· Governor Steve Bullock: https://svc.mt.gov/gov/contact/shareopinion
· US Senator Steve Daines: https://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve
· US Senator Jon Tester: https://www.tester.senate.gov/contact/
· US Congressman Greg Gianforte: https://gianforte.house.gov/contact/email
Local Area and State Representatives:
· State Senator Sue Malek: senatormalek@gmail.com
· State Representative Mike Hopkins: Mike.Hopkins@mtleg.gov
Missoula County Commissioners: bcc@co.missoula.mt.us (does not always work)
Individual Missoula County Commissioners instead of above:
· David Strohmaier, Chair - dstrohmaier@missoulacounty.us
· Josh Slotnick - jslotnick@missoulacounty.us
· Juanita Vero - jvero@missoulacounty.us
Thanks again for your help!
