Once known as "Salish Lake", this body of water takes its name
from the Salish (Flathead) Indians who live at the southern end of the lake on
the Flathead Indian Reservation. Kerr Dam, near Polson, regulates the lake's
water level and provides hydroelectric power and water for irrigation. The lake
has an irregularly-shaped shoreline and a dozen small islands, the largest of
which is a state park called Wild Horse Island. These islands cover 5.5 square
miles (14.2 square kilometers). Besides the Flathead River, the Swan River
(known also as the Bigfork River where it enters the lake) is the lake's other
major
