Is your boat ready for winter?

Is Your Boat Ready for Winter?

Finish the season strong with these steps for optimal protection of both your watercraft and our watershed. This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. Read the original article. Each fall when the Bay Watchers field season ends, the team prepares to winterize the University of Idaho research boat, just as local boaters plan for the same. To prevent your beloved summer craft from freezing damage, here are some strategies…

Bay Watchers Keep an Eye on Coeur d’Alene Lake

Bay Watchers Keep an Eye on Coeur d’Alene Lake

More citizen scientists needed for lake ambassador program This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. Read the original article. Along the shores of Coeur d’Alene Lake, citizen scientists are keeping a close eye and detailed log of changes in the water. “Living here and watching the effects of growth and development on Coeur d’Alene Lake for seventy years, I’ve been alarmed by what’s happening,” said Dr. Bob McFarland, who…

Aquatic Invasive Species

Help Prevent the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species

Nearly 300 mussel-fouled boats discovered across Idaho in the last decade This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020. Read the original article. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are plants, animals and other organisms introduced by humans to new waterways. They cause harm to our environment and economy. AIS invade aquatic ecosystems beyond their natural and historic range, often outcompeting native species because they have no natural predators to limit their…

Let’s Make It Clear: Clean Drinking Water Is A Community Responsibility

Let’s Make It Clear: Clean Drinking Water Is A Community Responsibility

This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, July 19, 2020. Read the original article. Most people take clean drinking water for granted. We assume the water coming out of the faucet is safe. If you live in a community with a public water system, the water is tested regularly for contamination. However, if you use a private well or pump surface water for use in your home, it is your responsibility to…

Heavy Metals In Our Watershed

Heavy Metals In Our Watershed

This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, June 21, 2020. Read the original article. The headwaters of the Coeur d’Alene Basin are essential to the success of mining, timber, agriculture and hydropower industries. Mining activities along the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River have a significant influence on basin watershed conditions and on the welfare of its inhabitants. From the 1880s to the early 1980s, the Silver Valley was the nation’s…

Better Boating Practices

Better Boating for the Sake of the Lake

This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, May 24, 2020. Read the original article. North Idaho provides abundant recreational activities, which in the warmer months include boating, wake surfing, camping, swimming and fishing. The waterways in the Coeur d’Alene basin are increasingly busy, so preventing water pollution is especially important and our shared responsibility. Let’s continue to enjoy the lake we love and, at the same time, exercise best management practices described…

Wise Lawn and Garden Care Protects Our Waterways

Wise Lawn and Garden Care Protects Our Waterways

As the population increases, North Idaho lakes and streams are at heightened risk of pollution. This story was written by Jim Ekins for the CDA Press on Sunday May 10, 2020. Read the original article. Homeowners can do a lot to protect and improve water quality through proper lawn and garden care and by landscaping with native or near-native plants that are acclimated to thrive without extra water and/or fertilizers. Soluble nutrients found in fertilizers, nitrogen and phosphorus are beneficial to…

Pollution Prevention for North Idaho’s Rivers and Lakes

Pollution Prevention for North Idaho’s Rivers and Lakes

Understand the impact of stormwater and your part in minimizing the damage. This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Read the original article. When it rains or when snow melts, where does the water go? In a natural landscape, water is quickly absorbed into the soil, but in urban and developed areas with impervious surfaces, water cannot soak into the ground and instead flows above ground as stormwater runoff….

Great Lake Debate

The Great Lake Debate

Shoreline concerns are among many threats to the health of Coeur d’Alene Lake. This article was written by Jennifer Passaro and published in the CDA Press on Friday, April 3, 2020. Read the original article. In a packed room at the Iron Horse Restaurant in downtown Coeur d’Alene shortly before the coronavirus hit, the Four County Natural Resources Committee met over lunch.Federal and state resource managers, scientists, concerned citizens and a handful of local elected officials including Kootenai County Commissioner Chris…

Coming Together for Our Gem

Coming Together for Our Gem

The Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative is a team of committed and passionate professionals working to protect our local water resources. Participating entities include the University of Idaho Community Water Resource Center, Coeur d’Alene Tribe Lake Management Department, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Kootenai Environmental Alliance and CDA 2030. This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Friday, April 3, 2020. Read the original article. Discussions about the health of Coeur d’Alene Lake…