Survey needed to improve lake access

Dave Hadden is looking for funding to help get the ball rolling on a better access to the north shore of Flathead Lake in Bigfork.

Hadden approached the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork on Thursday to ask for help funding a survey that would enable negotiations with the county to improve their right-of-way.

Flathead County has a 30-foot wide easement that runs from a corner on Holt Drive, to the north shore of Flathead Lake. The easement acts as a public access point to the lake. 

“It’s actually pretty wildly popular,” Hadden told the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork. “People are using it at all times of the year.”

The strip of land is next to a wildlife refuge managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The Fish, Wildlife and Parks land is open to the public except from March 1 to July 15, to protect birds during migration. 

The land to the other side of the easement is privately owned.

As a result, the 30-foot strip of land is the only year-round public access to the north shore of Flathead Lake, east of the Flathead River. Hadden has a vision to make the county property more user friendly.

“I think we can look at improving it significantly,” Hadden said. “It could be a very quality access.”

Hadden’s hope is to add parking along both sides of the road, install an elevated walkway from the parking to the beach and put up signage to clearly denote where the access is and what the rues of use are.

“It’s an all inclusive kind of vision,” Hadden said.

But first he has to get the county on board, which is where the survey comes in. 

Hadden has met with Flathead County Public Works Director David Prunty, who said to move forward with the plan very detailed drawings are needed.

Hadden needs to learn exactly where the existing property lines are, how much room there really is on the sides, and what obstacles might be in the way. From there he will bring the drawings to the county, and draw up a proposal for parking.

“It’s about really accurately locating everything that’s there,” Hadden said. “We just have to identify what the limits are, and what the possible obstructions are. With this information we would be able to move forward and work with the county.” 

The survey is estimated to cost $2,450.

Parking and signage are the priority for the project. Being the only year-round access to the north shore from Bigfork, Hadden said it can get busy.

“It’s a potential safety concern. There can be a lot of cars stacked up there,” Hadden said.

Hadden thinks there is potential to build parking for 10-15 cars. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has also expressed interest in helping with the project, providing design services.

The Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork said on Thursday that they support getting the survey done, but decided to wait and see what Hadden is able to fundraise before deciding on the dollar amount the organization will donate.

Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork president Paul Mutascio said that he had previously asked the county if they would be able to contribute financially to the project, and was told that currently, there is no money in the budget.

If the county approves the project, it would likely need to be funded through grants, donations and fundraising.

Mutascio said parties interested in donating funds for the survey can make the contributions to the Community Foundation, and earmark them specifically for that.

The Community Foundation and residents like Hadden have been looking at improving the access for several years, and the process is likely to take a while.

“It’s just a matter of trying to make progress now while we can,” Hadden said. “We need to allow people to use the place and use it responsibly.” Hadden said.