Conclusion

"Water is an important part of the economy of the greater Sandpoint area, and people who come here come for the lake and the water and the clean environment and want to take a stake in keeping it that way."

Diane Williams, Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Coalition.

Photo by Paul Croy.  Bonner County Historical Society.

    The snows of winter melt to join the waters of summer in the Pend Oreille region.  Albeni Falls dam now controls the lake level.  The waters still rise and fall, but with greater predictability than before.  The dam brought change, particularly to agriculture, summer tourism, and fishing.  But other forces significantly affected the region as well such as the removal of the Kalispel Indians to the Flathead Reservation in Montana and the Kalispel Reservation in Washington.  As the area continues to change, the waters flowing through the Pend Oreille region provide a visible link between the past and the future.