Contact: Dan McCracken, Coeur d’Alene Regional Administrator, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Dan.McCracken@deq.idaho.gov
November 15, 2022
COEUR D’ALENE — The Our Gem Collaborative hosted the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine on Tuesday to discuss findings from The Future of Water Quality in Coeur d’Alene Lake report and take questions from the public.
The report, which was published last month, provided a third-party assessment of water quality data collected over the last three decades and outlined recommendations to preserve the health of the lake.
“Many of us refer to Lake Coeur d’Alene as the gem of North Idaho and we all want to keep it that way,” said Idaho Governor Brad Little. “That is why continued protection of Lake Coeur d’Alene and all the economic and ecological benefits it provides us was a key part of my Leading Idaho initiative. With the NAS study and $20 million in Leading Idaho funding, we are already working on ways to continue improving the health of Lake Coeur d’Alene.”
“The NAS study has given us an important list of actions to pursue together to continue to make progress improving the health of Coeur d’Alene Lake,” said Dan McCracken, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Coeur d’Alene Regional Administrator. “The recent trends are encouraging. They indicate that our efforts are starting to make a difference, but we have a lot of important work ahead of us. With the investment being made through Governor Little’s Leading Idaho Initiative, we have the opportunity to make significant improvements to our wastewater treatment systems throughout the Basin and address other known sources of phosphorus.”
In 2020, DEQ, Kootenai County, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the support of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, asked the National Academies to analyze water quality data in Coeur d’Alene Lake and provide recommendations to address issues of concern.
In 2021, Governor Little established the Coeur d’Alene Lake Advisory Committee and directed $2 million for projects that reduce levels of phosphorus from entering the lake from wastewater, stormwater runoff, erosion, and other sources. The following year, Governor Little made available an additional $20 million for projects that support the state’s 2009 Lake Management Plan and reduce nutrient loading to Coeur d’Alene Lake.
“I am proud of our recent successes and look forward to continued engagement on this issue with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, federal government, local governments, and the people of North Idaho,” said Governor Little.
The symposium was hosted by the Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative and the Spokane River Forum and featured introductory remarks by Dr. Andrew Fields of the University of Idaho, a summary of the report presented by NAS committee members, comments from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, DEQ, EPA, and Kootenai County, and a question and answer session with attendees.