October 20, 2021
COEUR D’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene Lake Advisory Committee convened Wednesday to review 40 phosphorus-reduction proposals submitted by the local community and to determine how to best spend the $2 million provided under Governor Little’s Building Idaho’s Future initiative.
“We want to thank the public for participating,” said Bruce Cyr, a committee member representing lakeshore property owners. “All of us are in this room today because this means something to us. But it’s clear from the number of projects we received that it also means something to the people who live here.”
The projects fall into four main categories:
- Reducing wastewater pollution from point sources such as wastewater treatment plants.
- Managing stormwater that drains into the lake and its tributaries.
- Addressing nonpoint source pollution such as sediment loading through bank stabilization, wetland enhancements, and other efforts.
- Supporting research projects such as lake treatment options.
“Many of these projects are clearly beneficial,” said committee vice chair, Jack Riggs. “Anything we can do to help is better than not acting.”
To help the committee narrow down the list of eligible projects, DEQ staff scored each submission based on the cost per pound of phosphorus reduction, the total amount of phosphorus reduced, and the overall timeline, among other criteria.
“We only have $2 million to work with but this puts us in a good position to address future funding needs,” said Dan McCracken, DEQ’s regional administrator in the Coeur d’Alene Regional Office.
The committee will present a final list of projects and a prioritization recommendation at the November 17 meeting.
Media Contact
Dan McCracken
Coeur d’Alene Regional Administrator
Dan.McCracken@deq.idaho.gov
(208) 666-4621