Water quality researchers on Coeur d’Alene Lake. (Photo: K. Marshall.)

The National Academies of Science Study – 17 Years of Research to Consider

This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, July 18, 2021. With recent record-breaking warm temperatures, our beautiful lake is at the top of everyone’s mind. In fact, Governor Brad Little recently proclaimed July 2021 Lakes Appreciation Month, including a special mention of Coeur d’Alene Lake. This comes in the midst of a comprehensive assessment and review of data relevant to water quality in Coeur d’Alene Lake conducted by the prestigious National Academies…

From Flammable to Fishable: the US Clean Water Act

From Flammable to Fishable: the US Clean Water Act

The law changed America’s waters but remains a work in progress almost five decades later. This story was written by University of Idaho Extension Area Water Educator Jim Ekins, Ph.D., for the CDA Press on June 13, 2021. Read the original article.  The U.S. Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) resulted in profound water quality improvements. It is hard to believe how bad water pollution was in the prior decades. Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River, laden with petroleum, caught fire in 1969 as it…

What Is the National Academies of Sciences?

This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Read the original article. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has been looking into the future of Coeur d’Alene Lake’s water quality at the request of the State of Idaho, as was announced by Jacob Garringer, from Governor Brad Little’s office, in November of 2019 at the Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Symposium. This was spurred due to water quality “triggers” (such…

Be a Smarter Gardener

Be a Smarter Gardener

As the weather gets warmer and the sunshine stays out longer, people in CDA start getting excited about their gardens and lawns. Rightfully so, as the flora and greenery of North Idaho is unmatched. there are some unique problems associated with lawn and garden care that we need to be aware of, especially concerning our beautiful lakes and rivers. Fertilizers are great for lawns and flower beds, but not so great for our waterways. The soluble nutrients in fertilizer, like…

April Showers Bring May Floods

April Showers Bring May Floods

How can we protect water quality during flood events? This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, Apr. 18, 2021. Read the original article. Spring flooding is especially common in Kootenai, Shoshone, and Benewah Counties. According to the Idaho Office of Emergency Management, Kootenai County experienced an average of 22 “major flooding events” between 2012 and 2017, the second highest in the state. Most flooding occurs along natural stream or river channels of…

Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Protection District Protecting Our Priceless Water Supply

This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, April 4, 2021. Read the original article. The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie (SVRP) aquifer covers about 370 square miles in northern Idaho and eastern Washington. It is composed of ice age flood deposited gravels, cobbles, and boulders and is filled with water. The SVRP aquifer is considered unconfined, meaning it has no protective layer of clay or rock above it to keep out pollutants that are…

Bottom Sediments and Their Risk

Bottom Sediments and Their Risk

This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, March 14, 2021. Read the original article. A National Academies of Science (NAS) will evaluate Coeur d’Alene Lake water quality data including heavy metals, nutrients, dissolved oxygen and more. The expectation is that the review will enable the NAS committee to draw conclusions about trends in water quality including include whether sufficient data has been collected to address possible adverse or catastrophic events in the…

Managing Water Levels

Managing Water Levels in Coeur d’Alene Lake

This story was written by Meghan Lunney, Avista’s Spokane River license manager, as part of the Our Gem series in the CDA Press. It ran in the paper Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. Read the original article. Coeur d’Alene Lake was created after the last period of glaciation by a natural restriction at its outlet, the start of the Spokane River. In the 1890s, Fredrick Post constructed a mill and three dams nine miles downstream on the river at what is now…

Lake CdA with hills in the distance

Scientific Review of Coeur d’Alene Lake Water Quality Data to Begin this Month

What IS the future of Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake’s water quality? That is the question on the minds of many in northern Idaho, including state and tribal governments tasked with monitoring and improving water quality, elected officials with jurisdiction on the Lake, shoreline property owners, the local tourism industry, and many concerned citizens. Why? Historical mining activities deposited millions of tons of contaminated and potentially toxic sediment including zinc, cadmium, and lead into Coeur d’Alene Lake and its tributaries….