Photo showing a thick plume of sediment entering Hayden Lake from upslope construction activities

OUR GEM: Hold Your Ground! A case for good construction site planning

OUR GEM: Hold Your Ground! A case for good construction site planning Erosion control is a critical aspect of responsible site development, especially in areas with steep terrain and heavy precipitation, which is often the case in North Idaho. This case study highlights the challenges faced during the development of a hillside property near Hayden Lake and the efforts to address consequences of inadequate initial planning. Background In 2021, two properties on the hillside above Hayden Lake underwent development for…

Marina Steiner, a graduate student in the M.S. Water Resources, Science and Management program is photographed at the TerraGraphics International Foundation office in Moscow, ID March 5, 2025. For her research project, she is partnering with TerraGraphics International Foundation (TIFO) to address drinking water contamination in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan.

U Of I Soil and water systems graduate student travels to Uzbekistan to help determine scope of water quality issues

Marina Steiner, a graduate student with Greg Moller in the Soil and Water Systems Department, travels to Uzbekistan to help determine scope of water quality issues, read more.

Amin Mirkouei with team

U of I Researchers Design Biochar-based Water Treatment System

A University of Idaho team, led by Professor Amin Mirkouei and supported by two recently graduated doctorate students, Rance Bare and Ethan Struhs, collaborated with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (Ken Overturf), U of I Aquaculture Research Institute (Brian Small) and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Martha Chacón-Patiño, Amy Mckenna and Huan Chen) to design and custom-build an economical and sustainable water treatment system. This system was specifically developed to remove micronutrients, primarily phosphorus and nitrogen, from the wastewater…

Meetpal Kukal

U of I researcher coins ‘thirstwaves’ as new framework emphasizing prolonged, extreme water stressors

Meetpal Kukal proposed the term “thirstwaves” to describe prolonged periods of agricultural exposure to extreme atmospheric evaporative demand for water. Read more in the University of Idaho news feature or read the paper published March 20.

Mason Bull in the field

BSU Student Analyses Wildfire impacts on Snowpack

Master’s student Mason Bull recently won the Boise State University three-minute thesis competition and placed third at the state competition. Mason was partially funded by a research initiation grant from the Idaho Space Grant Consortium (Idaho NASA EPSCoR). His research is using the Landsat record to classify landscape composition and quantify landcover and vegetation change in one watershed in the Kenai Mountains of south-central Alaska and the Sawtooth Mountains of southwest Idaho. He is finding that places in Idaho that…

Tubbs Hill Stormwater Sign

OUR GEM: Stormwater – Here’s Your Sign!

OUR GEM: Stormwater – Here’s Your Sign! You may recall hearing or reading about the City of Coeur d’Alene and their work to reduce their stormwater discharge to Coeur d’Alene Lake and the Spokane River. Since 2018, through their Stormwater Volume Reduction Program, the City has diverted flow from seven outfalls on the river and lake for a total of 465 acres of diverted flow. That equals 13% of the City’s hard pipe/outfall area. To help share the success of…

University of Idaho and North Idaho College Team Up to Celebrate Youth Scientific Leaders

University of Idaho and North Idaho College Team Up to Celebrate Youth Scientific Leaders

The University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene’s Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) partnered with North Idaho College (NIC) to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Youth Water Summit. This annual event empowers high school students to investigate and address real-world water issues in their communities through hands-on research, innovation, and public presentation.

Coeur d'Green Landscaping

OUR GEM: Coeur d’Alene’s Wastewater History

OUR GEM: Coeur d’Alene’s Wastewater History By Mike Anderson, City of Coeur d’Alene Wastewater Utility Director In 1939, the City of Coeur d’Alene began treating its wastewater at a brand-new facility. This plant used secondary treatment, a new level of technology just beginning to be seen in large cities, but almost unheard of in small communities like ours, with a population of barely 10,000. Motivated by a desire to be a good neighbor and environmental stewards, the City was also…

Sediment from rain event in North Idaho Stream

OUR GEM: Tackling Nonpoint Source Pollution in North Idaho, Protecting Coeur d’Alene Lake

OUR GEM: Tackling Nonpoint Source Pollution in North Idaho, Protecting Coeur d’Alene Lake Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is a major environmental issue in North Idaho, particularly within the growing Coeur d’Alene Lake watershed. Unlike point source pollution, which stems from identifiable discharge points like pipes or ditches, NPS pollution is transported by diffuse sources such as rain or snowmelt. These waters pick up pollutants from urban areas, agricultural land, forests, and residential zones, eventually draining into lakes, rivers, and groundwater….

Idaho Legislature Allocates $1Million to IWRRI

Idaho Legislature Allocates $1Million to IWRRI

The Idaho Legislature has allocated $1 million in funding to the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) to prioritize water research among all of Idaho’s public institutions of higher education. The newly formed IWRRI Executive Board will direct the use of these funds, consistent with the institute’s research priorities to encourage rigorous, actionable water research.   This funding will launch IWRRI into a new phase of fostering connections across the water community to facilitate research on Idaho’s most pressing water topics….