By Jeff Adolph
Waterfront Development
Flathead Lake's Goose Bay is slowly developing into a haven of homes, as the area resembles days of old, prior to the building of the Kerr Dam, when the Lakes clarity was crystal clear and housing lined the banks.
One person who can remember the days of old is 75 year-old Sally Hatfield, granddaughter of Frank B. Linderman, writer and American Indian advocate.
Her grandfather built a 'comfortable larch-log cabin' on 3,000 feet of shoreline back in 1912. The cabin still stands today and is a monument of an era past. The land which has now been sub-divided would have a market value of $30 million based on today's water-front prices.
The landscape that was once sparse is now filling up with homes as the shorelines continue to be divided and sold for housing development and docks.
The lake is fed by 'Glacier National Park and drainage in the the Bob Marshall and Mission Mountain Wilderness Areas.'
Jack Stanford, director of the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station believes the Lakes water quality to be the best in the world, he added that, 'you can still stand on your dock and look down and see the bottom of the lake. But that's largely because 80% of the water coming into the lake is coming from protected areas.'
As Sally Hatfield added, 'the water at Goose Bay passed tests for safe drinking in the 60's and its been the same ever since.'
Realtor, Bruce Young estimates there is now approximately 4,000 residents constructed on the lakes shoreline and he stresses the need to think ecologically, as the land and home listings dwindle because the area is becoming sought after. Young is a little fearful that careful planning will go by the way-side in favor for development and that could be catastrophic for the lake.
One such incident that lends itself as a perfect example of this occurred just recently, with construction sediment running into Somers Bay because the development ran over planning regulations, and ended up building below the lake's high water line. The condominium development has since been halted while it is reviewed.
As Young added, 'we just can't continue to afford this kind of thing because it all adds up.'
While one or two incidences may not equate to an ecological disaster they all contribute to one eventually.
Standford also had noted that smaller homes where being renovated for what he called 'Trophy Homes.'
'Old places are being bought up and vastly altered by very large constructions, and the downside of that is big places are disturbing and displacing more land,' he added.
However, the future for Flathead Lake remains bright as landowner initiatives in preservation and conservation groups work together to preserve the environment. Recently, three groups added over 3,000 acres of native shoreline from development to ensure that the water quality and the ecology of the lake area are maintained.
Marilyn Lake, director of the Flathead Land Trust believes that the tax incentives for landowners to participate in conservation has increased awareness and continue to do so with the momentum of conservation efforts set to grow considerable in the next decade.
The estimate economic value of the Lake is approximately between $6-10 Billion dollars, with the basins clear waters acting as a draw card for advertising and promotion anything from recreation to real estate.
The area is gay-friendly with the median house price of $350,000, however, if you are interested in waterfront you may need to save your pennies for a little longer as the median here jumps to well over the $1 million mark.
Overall, the Flathead Lake region is absolutely gorgeous and an idyllic surround for retirement or investment.
Sources: Mann, J (2006) Building on the Shoreline: available online at http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2006/10/24/news/news01.txt
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© 2006 Jeff Adolph GayRealEstate USA
Situated in the Pacific Northwest and on the Great Plains of the United States, Montana is the 4th largest state by area and the 44th largest by population. 
This real estate market comprises of town-homes, condominiums and single-family detached homes. Prices for single family homes start at approximately $100,000 and go up to $1 million. Missoula is said to be an unspoilt beauty that provides an abundance of recreational activities. There are literally 100's of miles of biking and hiking trails in this region, as well as white water rafting in the area. 
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