Long-term trends in metals and nutrients guide remediation and demonstrate success at a northern Idaho Superfund site
Over a century of mining in northern Idaho’s Silver Valley has led to widespread metals contamination in the Coeur d’Alene River watershed, resulting in its designation as a Superfund site and extensive remediation efforts. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has collected surface water quality data for over 35 years to guide remediation and assess environmental changes. Key contaminants include mining-related lead and zinc. Long-term trend analysis reveals significant declines in lead and zinc concentrations, especially in the upper watershed, though the lower watershed remains a source of lead. In addition, phosphorus data offers insights into dynamic watershed processes affecting nutrient delivery to Coeur d’Alene Lake. This long-term dataset indicates that remedial actions have improved water quality in the watershed while also pointing to areas for future work.
Lauren Zinsser is a supervisory hydrologist and water-quality specialist at the USGS Idaho Water Science Center in Boise. Her research focuses on field studies of surface-water and groundwater resources, including long-term water-quality monitoring, trend analysis, groundwater characterization and the biological uptake of contaminants.