When was flathead lake formed

Formed by ancient glaciers, the lake is named after the Flathead Salish Indians who inhabited the area, and the southern half of the lake lies within the boundaries of the present day Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Indian Reservation. The shoreline is very irregular, especially on the west shore, and the lake contains several islands that cover a combined 5. The first wagon trails up the shoreline were so steep and hazardous that much of the early travel and trade was done by steamboat.

Steamer routes along the lake connected Polson and Demersville up the Flathead River present day south Kalispell. One of the most fantastic aspects to experiencing Flathead Lake is the constant change. No two days on the lake are the same. With such a large surface area of water, the lake can quickly change its temper from a calm plate of glass to midnight black rollers topped by foaming whitecaps.

The many colors of the lake include glacier greens in the spring to crystal clear blues in late summer, to reflecting snowy crimson alpenglow off the mountains on gray winter days. If the idea of enjoying the lake is more than taking in the scenery, there is plenty of action on warm summer days.

Recreation activities include boating, fishing, water skiing, sailing and just about any water sport you can dream up. With such a large body of water, the lake seems peaceful on even the busiest of days.

Once the climate began to get warmer the ice probably melted within a couple thousand years. Geologists believe that the part of the glacier in the Mission Valley survived a few centuries longer than other parts of the glacier. Had the ice not persisted there, the present lake basin would have filled with outwash sediments. Eventually the stagnant mass of ice also melted, forming a lake behind the moraine. As soon as the level of water reached the top of this "moraine dam", it poured across and began to cut a channel through it.

Usually "moraine-dammed lakes" are relatively short-lived because the running water typically cuts all the way through the moraine and the lake waters drain away. However, this was not the fate of the Polson Moraine.

According to the station's website , it was established in The Flathead climate is everything. It has a mild climate which allows for cherries to prosper on the east shore and vineyards for wine production on the west shore.

Not every lake can produce that. Having a home on the shoreline of Flathead is worth it on its own merits, but how much does it actually boost property values? The deepest area of Flathead only goes down You can check lake levels here. By the way, Lake Tahoe is over feet deep!