OUR GEM: Drought and Snowpack Update for the Idaho Panhandle

OUR GEM: Drought and Snowpack Update for the Idaho Panhandle

Written by Robin Fox, Service Hydrologist for the National Weather Service – Spokane After a dry and mild fall, many were looking forward to an increase of moisture across northern Idaho to lessen the drought impacts that have persisted for the last two years. Since last fall, the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has been advertising wetter than normal conditions for the winter season across the Inland NW with the arrival of La Niña. The rounds of…

Pack River 2024

OUR GEM: Understanding TMDLs and Restoring Water Quality in Idaho

Written by Jade Clickenbeard, Watershed Analyst for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Water quality is essential for the health of Idaho’s communities, ecosystems, and economies. Unfortunately, many of the region’s rivers, lakes, and streams face water quality issues, often related to pollution from agriculture, urban runoff, and legacy mine waste contamination. In Idaho, the Clean Water Act (CWA) provides a framework for addressing these challenges, and one of the key tools used to restore impaired water bodies is the…

Our Gem: Evaluating Risk in Coeur d’Alene Lake Recreational Areas

Our Gem: Evaluating Risk in Coeur d’Alene Lake Recreational Areas

The Coeur d’Alene River Basin, Coeur d’Alene Lake, and the Spokane River are impacted by heavy metals from historic mining practices that began in the 1880s. This has resulted in the area being designated as an EPA National Priorities List (NPL) Site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The site was listed in 1983 and is known as the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site. Although mining practices have evolved, in tandem with operations…

An offload pad sloped to drain any spilled material to the main containment. Photo provided by Panhandle Health.

OUR GEM: The Critical Materials Program Protects our Aquifer

By: Jenny Gray, Panhandle Health Aquifer Protection Program Coordinator North Idaho is home to some breathtakingly beautiful bodies of water. The area’s most important water resource, however, is one we cannot readily see, as it lies beneath our feet – the Spokane Valley – Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer (SVRPA). The SVRPA covers roughly 370 square miles in northern Idaho and eastern Washington and is composed of Ice Age flood-deposited gravels, cobbles, and boulders. It is an unconfined aquifer, meaning no continuous…

OUR GEM: Aquifer Protection District Master Plan

OUR GEM: Aquifer Protection District Master Plan

By: Kootenai County Aquifer Protection District Advisory Board Growth happens. It’s been happening a lot in Kootenai County. In 1970, 35,332 people lived here. By 2022, the population increased to 183,578, and by 2045, some projections indicate that over 319,000 people may live here. A look at the Rathdrum Prairie over the last 20 years shows a steady infill with housing developments, apartment complexes, commercial and other enterprises. The customs, culture, and beauty of our region make it a destination…

OUR GEM: Kootenai Shoshone Soil & Water Conservation District

OUR GEM: Kootenai Shoshone Soil & Water Conservation District

Author: Karla Freeman, District Administrator (KSSWCD) The Kootenai Shoshone Soil & Water Conservation District (KSSWCD) is one of 50 conservation districts in Idaho. We service the Kootenai and Shoshone County areas. The conservation district is made up of 7 voluntary board members and 1 paid district administrator.  We help farmers, ranchers, private landowners, or community partners with soil and water conservation concerns. The KSSWCD is a public service that is a subdivision of the state, and we work directly with…

Smoke over Hayden Lake

OUR GEM: Smoke on the Water

Authors Krista Bonfantine, postdoctoral fellow with the University of Idaho Pyroaerobiology Lab along with Leda Kobziar, Ph. D. Professor of Wildland Fire Science & Director, Master of Natural Resources With more than a month of diminished air quality due to wildfire smoke this summer, you may be wondering whether smoke impacts extend beyond what we already know about human health- where does the smoke end up? Does it affect ecosystems like Coeur d’Alene Lake? Much more attention has been given to the…

OUR GEM: Citizen Science and Water Quality: The Role of Bay Watchers in Monitoring Coeur d’Alene Lake

OUR GEM: Citizen Science and Water Quality: The Role of Bay Watchers in Monitoring Coeur d’Alene Lake

Coeur d’Alene Lake faces numerous environmental challenges that require ongoing vigilance. One of the key programs in safeguarding the water quality of this lake is the Bay Watchers program. A collaboration between the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, The Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and local volunteers.

Wetland Photo Courtesy: Jade Clinkenbeard

OUR GEM: Ecosystem Services That Wetlands Provide

Author, Meg Wolf- Interim Assistant Director/Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, University of Idaho Wetlands refer to the watery transition zones between surface water and dry land. They can be wet year-round or only during certain parts of the year, such as following spring runoff. Essential parts of a wetland include aquatic plants specifically adapted to live in fully saturated environments. In the Inland Northwest, non-tidal wetlands are prevalent, unlike coastal regions that support tidal wetlands. Nature’s Water Filters Wetlands act…

OUR GEM: Be Smart Around Lead, Play Clean

OUR GEM: Be Smart Around Lead, Play Clean

Guest Author: Mary Rehnborg, Institutional Controls Program Manager for Panhandle Health District Summertime recreation is one of the best parts of living in our area. Swimming, boating, camping, and other outdoor activities are great ways to make lifelong memories with your friends and family. While our region looks like a pristine, beautiful place to recreate, some areas are impacted by the historical mining activities that occurred in the Coeur d’ Alene basin. North Idaho is home to one of the…