Something's fishy at Salish Point

By Maggie Plummer

POLSON — Everything's coming up fish at Salish Point.

It's all part of the ongoing work there, along Polson's Flathead Lake shore between KwaTaqNuk Resort and the Polson city dock.

The improvement project is a cooperative venture between the Tribes and the City of Polson, overseen by the Salish Point Committee.

During March, crews installed six new light poles with fish and fishing pole designs (that light up) and several sitting benches that feature fish-shaped legs - all creatively designed by local contractor Randy Walton.

In addition to those features, the dock includes fish shapes stamped into its concrete as well as large fish cutouts incorporated into the dock railing.

Workers are taking advantage of the spring low lake level by repairing the boat ramp and planning more marina projects, due to be done soon. Many of the Salish Point projects require lengthy periods of low water in order to be completed, according to Tom McDonald of the Salish Committee.

The 'T' part of the dock will include a breakwater, he said. Once the lake is back up to full pool, or almost full pool, crews will put in a floating dock that will extend the courtesy dock and provide more boat slips, McDonald explained. "We chose a floating dock system because the waves aren't as dramatic there, plus there will be a breakwater," he added.

Plans for this year also call for installing floats and a rope to mark the new swimming-only area between the big concrete dock and the city dock, McDonald said. The idea is to shift swimming use to that area and away from busy, potentially dangerous boat ramp areas.

Eventually, the Salish Point park area will include multiple swimming platforms (there's already one), additional electrical lighting on the 'T' part of the dock, possibly some underwater lighting, a restored natural swimming beach in place of the old log retaining wall, and lots of park landscaping.