Georgetown Lake . Georgetown Lake is located on the 

 North Fork of Flint Creek in Granite and Deer Lodge counties 

 about 18 miles west of Anaconda. Under an old decreed water 

 right, a minimum of 30 cfs is released from the dam for 

 irrigation in the Flint Creek Valley. The irrigators in the 

 valley have been trying to obtain additional water from the 

 project but have been unsuccessful. MPC has filed a FERC 

 application to abandon use of the project for hydropower 

 purposes. Granite County has agreed to receive the project 

 from MPC if FERC approves, and it is requesting a new license 

 from FERC. 



Georgetown Lake is a very important recreational lake. 

 It lies in a high elevation scenic area and is one of the 

 most heavily fished lakes in the state. Numerous species of 

 fish have been stocked over the years, including rainbow, 

 westslope cutthroat, and brown trout, grayling, and coho and 

 kokanee salmon. The lake currently contains primarily 

 rainbow trout, brook trout, and kokanee salmon. 



Depending on what happens with MFC's application to 

 FERC, historical water use could be altered. If irrigation 

 interests gain control of the water supply, changes could 

 occur in lake levels as well as flows in both Flint Creek and 

 Warm Springs Creek. The State of Montana is currently not 

 interested in assuming responsibility for the old dam. 

 Extensive repairs are needed to maintain and improve the 

 power production system. However, state agencies and local 

 residents are interested in preventing any degradation to the 

 lake's fishery and recreational values. 



Montana Resources, Inc., which bought the Butte mining 

 properties from AMC in 1985, holds extensive water rights in 

 the Warm Springs Creek drainage. AMC used this water for 

 copper refining in Butte. The Butte operation under MRI is 

 smaller and does not require the former quantities of water. 

 There is some indication (and concern) that some of these 

 water rights may be sold. If this occurs, there may be 

 impacts to irrigation interests as well as to instream flows 

 in Flint Creek and Warm Springs Creek. Some of the Warm 

 Springs Creek water was temporarily stored in Georgetown Lake 

 prior to being pumped back over into Warm Springs Creek for 

 transfer via pipeline to Butte. 



3-124 



