Small debris slide temporarily closes Cottonwood Lakes Road

SEELEY LAKE - Late in the evening on May 25, a small debris slide was discovered covering a portion of the Cottonwood Lakes Road #477 adjacent to the Rice Ridge fire burned area. The slide is located ¼ mile west of the junction of Cottonwood Lakes Road #477 and Lower Cottonwood Road #9976. The slide is the result of heavy rain and soil saturation in the area which caused the slope above the road to slump and slide over Cottonwood Lakes Road #477.

 As a result of the slide, a 4-mile section of Cottonwood Lakes Road #477 is temporarily closed west of its intersection with Lower Cottonwood Road #9976, and east of its intersection with Morrell Lookout Road #4365. Additionally, NFSR #17507 is temporarily closed at its junction with Cottonwood Lakes Road #477. Cottonwood Lakes Road is currently impassable to vehicle traffic. These temporary closures are in effect for public safety. 

During the rainy season, movement of debris and water within the Rice Ridge burned area is common. The public is reminded to exercise caution when driving through this area as roadbeds may be soft and downed trees and debris may be present.

"We appreciate the public's patience and understanding as we work over the coming days to assess the damage. We will need a couple of days of drying to be able to effectively clean this up," said Quinn Carver, Seeley Lake District Ranger. "We expect to find more small debris flows and slides over the coming days due to the recent rainfall. Please report anything unusual to the Seeley Lake Ranger Station to help us identify and address issues."

A temporary closure is in place until the mud dries and crews can safely remove the debris and clear the road. The slide blocks travel between Cottonwood Lakes and the Lower Cottonwood Road. The Morrell Creek and Morrell Lookout roads are still accessible from the town of Seeley Lake via the western portion of Cottonwood Lakes Road #477 and the Morrell Creek Road #4353. Dunham Creek and the Monture Creek areas are still accessible from the Woodsworth Road, or from the town of Ovando from Monture Creek Road 89. 

For more information please call the Seeley Lake Ranger Station at 406-677-2233 or follow the Lolo National Forest on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lolonationalforest.