By Dave Muise, Vice President of the Board, Kootenai Environmental Alliance. I was standing by Coeur d’Alene Lake on a fall day taking in the beautiful view when a woman passing by asked me “Has the lake turned over yet?”. I gave her a vacant look, smiled and said “no”, having no idea what I was saying “no” to. “Turn over” was what you did to pancakes, and no spatula I’ve ever seen could turn over a lake! A little…
This story was written by Jon Firehammer on behalf of the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, April 9, 2023. Read the original article. For those who love viewing wildlife, the southern end of Lake Coeur d’Alene can be a great vantage point in the spring for catching migratory tundra swans that are making a pit stop on their migration northward to their breeding grounds in Alaska. However, in some cases, the white objects that you may…
This story was written by Laura Laumatia/Coeur d’Alene Tribe on behalf of the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, February 05, 2023. Read the original article. When our temperatures dip below zero, it’s hard to imagine how overall warming temperatures might be impacting our lake. Unfortunately, despite some frigid stretches, Coeur d’Alene Lake is already experiencing increases in temperature that can impact many aspects of its ecological health, including water quality and fish habitat. As part of…
Recently, the Community Water Resource Center (CWRC) at the U of I in Coeur d’Alene wrapped up its third year of citizen scientist data collection on Coeur d’Alene Lake with the Bay Watchers. The Bay Watchers is a dynamic group of volunteers that meet with CWRC outreach employees once a month to monitor water quality parameters in their local area or bay on the Lake. The program now samples 12 sites on the Lake for different water quality parameters. The Bay Watchers…
There weren’t programs like this in schools in the past. This program is unique to North Idaho. The curriculum was created by graduate students at the University of Idaho. The TCP committee works with teachers in the Panhandle to prepare students with this curriculum, and then they accompany them on field trips offered throughout the year. Scientific experts help students collect accurate data and work with them understand its importance.
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…
This story was written by the Our Gem Collaborative team for the CDA Press on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. Read the original article. What is the future of Coeur d’Alene Lake’s water quality? That is the question on the minds of many in North 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 concerned citizens. Historical mining activities deposited millions of tons…
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…
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…
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…