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         Return toList of Subbasin Assessments, TMDLs, and Implementation Plans in Idaho See AlsoUpper Spokane River TMDL ContactBob Steed or Tyson Clyne DEQ Coeur d'Alene Regional Office 2110 Ironwood Parkway Coeur d' Alene, ID 83814 ph: (208) 769-1422 fx: (208) 769-1404
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Surface Water: Upper Spokane River (Lakes
and Streams Located on or Draining to the Rathdrum Prairie)
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| > Link to document > Link to Fish Creek Watershed Assessment and TMDL | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The Subbasin at a Glance | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Background | |||||||||||||||||||||
The federal Clean Water Act requires that states and tribes restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters. States and tribes must adopt water quality standards necessary to protect fish, shellfish, and wildlife while providing for recreation in and on the waters whenever possible. Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act establishes requirements for states and tribes to identify and prioritize water bodies that are water quality limited (i.e., water bodies that do not meet water quality standards). States and tribes must periodically publish a priority list of impaired waters, currently every two years. For waters identified on this list, states and tribes must develop water quality improvement plans known as total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) that establish allowable pollutant loads set at levels to achieve water quality standards. |
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||
The Rathdrum Prairie is a 209 square mile area located west of the Coeur d'Alene Mountains, north of Coeur d'Alene Lake and south of Lake Pend Oreille. In addition to the two large lakes, five smaller lakes are located on the fringes of the prairie. The Spokane River traces the southern boundary of the watershed on its route from Coeur d'Alene Lake to the Washington border. The Spokane River is listed for temperature, but the assessment found the temperature in the Spokane River is caused by natural conditions and recommends the river be redesignated as limited cold water biota. Nutrient (total phosphorus) TMDLs were developed for Hauser, Hayden, and Twin Lakes. The total phosphorous TMDL developed for the Twin Lakes addresses Fish and Rathdrum Creeks as well. The dissolved oxygen limitation of Hauser Lake is dependent on total phosphorous reductions. Data indicate that Spirit Lake is meeting the total phosphorus goal and dissolved oxygen standards. Sediment modeling of Fish and Rathdrum Creeks indicates these water bodies are not limited by sediment. Bacteria standards are also met in Fish and Rathdrum Creeks and in Upper Twin Lake. Metals TMDLs for this subbasin are addressed in a previous document. |
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| Streams and Pollutant for Which TMDLs Were Developed | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Subbasin Assessment and TMDLs | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Fish Creek Watershed | |||||||||||||||||||||
The Fish Creek watershed is contained within the Upper Spokane Subbasin. It is located northeast of Coeur d'Alene and drains east from across the Idaho/Washington border into Twin Lakes. Ownership in the watershed is almost entirely private land. The Inland Empire Paper Company, the Idaho Department of Lands, and a few small private landowners are the primary land holders within the watershed. The majority of the stream is forested, intermixed with shrubs, grass meadows, and pastureland near its mouth before draining into upper Twin Lakes. The Upper Spokane River Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Loads developed in 2000 did not directly address excess pollutant loads within the Fish Creek watershed. Therefore, a separate document, entitled Fish Creek Watershed Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Loads, was developed in January 2007; the public comment period on the document closed February 27, 2008. |
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| View entire document (pdf 8.4 mb, 184 pages) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Because of the large size of this document, we have also divided it into the following sections for quicker downloading: | |||||||||||||||||||||
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