OUR GEM: From Drain to River, How a Local Treatment Plant Is Improving Water Quality

OUR GEM: From Drain to River, How a Local Treatment Plant Is Improving Water Quality

By Pilar Deniston, Coeur d’Alene Lake ARPA Project Coordinator for Idaho DEQ When water from your home, whether from the toilet, sinks, or shower goes down the drain, it travels through a network of pipes to a wastewater treatment facility (unless you’re on a private septic system). There, it undergoes a series of treatment steps to become clean enough to return safely to the natural environment. The process begins with pretreatment, where large debris like sticks and plastic, along with…

OUR GEM: Taking Public Comments Regarding Wetland Protection Rule Changes

OUR GEM: Taking Public Comments Regarding Wetland Protection Rule Changes

by Sharon Bosley, Executive Director for the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission The Clean Water Act (CWA) was created to protect our water resources by regulating discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States. Its goal is to help ensure all waters are swimmable, fishable and drinkable. The purpose of defining the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) is to determine which waterways are protected under the CWA. The definition determines which waters require permits for activities that…

OUR GEM: Northwest Environmental Business Council highlights the Health and Future of Coeur d’Alene Lake

OUR GEM: Northwest Environmental Business Council highlights the Health and Future of Coeur d’Alene Lake

“What if this is as good as it gets for Coeur d’Alene Lake?” Derek Forseth asked as he introduced the panel at the Environmental Symposium, hosted by the Northwest Environmental Business Council on November 6, 2025. The panel session, A Case Study: The Health and Future of Lake Coeur d’Alene, presented Coeur d’Alene Lake as the poster child of the symposium, which was themed, Inland Northwest; Water Under Pressure. Panelists included Caj Matheson, Director of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Natural…

OUR GEM: Local Students Find Excitement with Hands-On Science

OUR GEM: Local Students Find Excitement with Hands-On Science

by Woody Wood, IWRRI Education and Outreach Coordinator It’s a cool fall morning, and I’m standing at the intersection of Burnt Cabin and Ohio Match Roads waiting for a bus load of Venture Academy students to arrive. While I wait here with my colleagues, travelers stop and ask why we have dozens of pairs of rubber boots lined up next to our vehicles. We tell them about the incoming students and the work they are about to do, and they…

Hepton Lake After Wetland Restoration

OUR GEM: Restoration Project Turns Back the Clock at Hepton Lake

By Angelo Vitale, Fisheries Division Manager Last year, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe wrapped up construction work on one of its most ambitious projects to date and something that has been in the works for more than a decade. The Snyihms he mulshu’lmkhw (Swimmer’s Landing among the Cottonwoods) Project is located adjacent to the lower St. Joe River a few miles west of St. Maries, Idaho. During the pre-settlement era, the site was a floodplain marsh and wet meadow and was…

The Big Burn of 1910 Ranger

OUR GEM Ashes in the Current: The Hidden Hydrologic Legacy of the 1910 Fire

By Mark Getscher, hydrogeologist for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe More than a century after “The Big Burn” of 1910 scorched over three million acres across northern Idaho and western Montana, its legacy continues to flow through the streams and rivers of the Coeur d’Alene Basin. While most remember the fire for its devastation and heroism, far fewer realize its silent and lingering impact on water quality. High-intensity wildfires combust vegetation and organic soil layers, converting them into ash. This ash is…

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…

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….

Wolf Lodge sampling, photo provided by Todd Higens, IDEQ.

OUR GEM: Understanding Water Quality Monitoring on Coeur d’Alene Lake

By Meg Wolf, Assistant Director of Idaho Water Resources Research Institute; Craig Cooper, Limnologist with Idaho Department of Environmental Quality; and Dale Chess, Senior Lake Limnologist with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. Monitoring the health of Coeur d’Alene Lake is a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations, each contributing important pieces to the bigger picture of the lake’s condition. Four key groups — the United States Geologic Survey (USGS), the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and volunteers…