In 2015, I was introduced to a unique fundraiser for Kootenai Environmental Alliance (KEA) in Coeur d’Alene called Junk 2 Funk. This trash to fashion runway show was a fun time for a good cause, and often highlighted environmental and conservation issues and projects in North Idaho. That year, the Hayden Lake Watershed Association, with the help of KEA, had constructed and installed a floating wetland on Hayden Lake with plants that could keep the water healthy as well as provide food and habitat for fish and other lake dwellers. My Junk 2 Funk outfit was an artistic recreation of that wetland, constructed by the enigmatic Rebecca Patano, one of the event’s founders. For me, that runway walk brought awareness to the health, challenges, conservation and care of the abundant waters we enjoy here in the Inland Northwest.
Climate
The main issue that Hayden Lake faces is related to climate, specifically summer heat and stagnation due to the lake having no outlet. The warm water combines with excess phosphorus and nitrogen, creating the perfect environment for toxic algae and bacteria, such as E. coli, to grow. These algae blooms can cause reactions ranging from “swimmer’s itch” to illness and even death in humans, pets, wildlife and livestock. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare issues recreational water health advisories each year when an active toxic bloom has been identified. Advisories against fishing and consuming fish from a specific lake or reservoir are also issued when water contamination is unsafe.
The Hayden Lake Floating Wetland utilized materials and technology to construct its “floating island” of plants that could both attract and hold enormous populations of beneficial bacteria, draw and convert unwanted contaminants in the water into a source of food for a fishery, and create a safe, healthy haven for fish. According to the Watershed Association’s project plan, “Published studies show that if maintained properly, a 200-square-foot [floating wetland]can match the benefits of a full acre of mature, healthy wetland on the ground level.”
Another climate challenge facing our waterways and water sources in northern Idaho is snow accumulation and the resulting snow melt each spring. The water cycle in Idaho is highly dependent on the amount of snow accumulation into a vast mountainous reservoir during the winter and spring. As the snow melts and runs down the mountains in the spring and summer, it fills the streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs during the warm, dry months. This seasonal cycle supports ecosystems both on land and in the water. Climate changes that interrupt these rhythms and alter water temperatures, snowmelt timing, and stream flow can significantly impact aquatic ecosystems, irrigation supply, water quality and water use in domestic, commercial, municipal and industrial areas.
Recreation and Tourism
Contributing $3.7 billion per year, tourism is important to Idaho’s economy. In North Idaho, much of that tourism as well as local recreation is centered around water. The Idaho Panhandle is home to three major lakes — Lake Pend Oreille, Coeur d’Alene Lake, and Priest Lake — along with a lot of smaller lakes and all the rivers and streams that connect them. Overall, Idaho has about 140 lakes and almost 2,000 miles of streams and rivers to enjoy. And boy do we enjoy them through swimming, rafting, boating, sailing, paddling, floating, skating, hunting (ducks), farming (cranberries) and more.
According to a University of Idaho Climate-Economy Impacts Assessment, “In 2020, 82,434 boats were registered in Idaho. It is estimated that in 2015, up to 1/3 of households had a boat in some Idaho counties. Spending on products and services related to power boating contributed $335.3 million to Idaho’s economy in 2015. Idaho rivers are rafting destinations for visitors near and far. Idaho has over 3,100 whitewater river miles. For example, in 2015, revenue for outfitters along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River was between $8.26 and $8.55 million.”
As the number of people exploring and relishing Idaho’s aquatic activities increases year after year, so does the impact on both land and water. First, more people in an area means more waste and potential polluted runoff into our waters. Speed boats running along rivers can cause bank erosion and stir up pollutants that have settled at the bottoms of lakes. Bathers leave trash and take natural “mementos” from shores and waters. Boats not properly cleaned can transport invasive species from other bodies of water into the waters of northern Idaho. A high level of water activity can also negatively impact aquatic life and their habitat.
Industrial and Mining Pollution
Agriculture, aquaculture, hydropower, sewage plants, manufacturing and other economic industrial activities can impact Idaho’s water through usage, runoff, pollution and encroachment. One of the most historically environmentally impactful industries in the Inland Northwest is mining. During the 1880s, mining was a thriving business in northern Idaho’s Silver Valley, but little attention was paid to the rock and dirt waste laced with toxic metals that was being poured into Coeur d’Alene Lake. It would be 80 years of booming mines before the U.S. government required the installation of upstream settling ponds to capture the sediment.
In 1983, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency listed the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex in Idaho’s Silver Valley as a Superfund site. The EPA defines a superfund site as an area where “hazardous substances have been released into the environment, posing a threat to human health and the environment” and is designated for cleanup. The Coeur d’Alene River Basin covers 1,500 square miles and is one of the largest and most complex cleanup sites in the country.
Restoration Partnership is a collaborative effort in the Coeur d’Alene Basin that aims to complement the natural resource restoration work being done by the EPA and Idaho’s Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ). According to the IDEQ, “The Restoration Partnership was formed by the Coeur d’Alene Basin Natural Resource Trustees, which is comprised of the U.S. Department of the Interior (represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management), Coeur d’Alene Tribe, U.S. Department of Agriculture (represented by the U.S. Forest Service), and State of Idaho (represented by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality). Early in 2024, the Partnership selected 10 projects from applicants that will address natural resource damage or loss of services due to mine waste contamination in the Basin, many of which have already begun to be implemented.
Development
The communities in North Idaho are growing at a rapid pace. More people means more housing and economic resources. If housing and development are poorly planned, they can significantly impact waterways. The Idaho Conservation League has put together a North Idaho Lakes Advocacy program that addresses protecting the panhandle’s waters from poor land management, as well as deterioration and pollution.
“Poorly planned and located developments are impacting waterways through the loss of wetlands, shoreline vegetation, and fish and wildlife habitat…developments are also increasing water pollution through the use of landscape fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Seepage from septic systems is also increasing toxic algae blooms,” according to idahoconservation.org.
Focusing at the moment on Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River, the project has developed a long-term Water Quality Monitoring Program aimed at keeping the public informed about the lake’s water quality and providing high-quality scientific data for regulatory agencies to utilize when considering decisions and legislation that could impact our waterways.
Join the Effort
To learn more and find out how you can protect, maintain, restore and conserve Idaho’s waters, take a look at each of the groups mentioned here: Kootenai Environmental Alliance, Idaho Conservation League, Restoration Partnership, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and Hayden Lake Watershed Association. These are just a few valuable resources that are prioritizing the waters of North Idaho. Another excellent resource is Idaho Waterkeepers. Waterkeeper groups are on-the-ground advocates united in a shared mission to protect the right to clean water in our communities. They patrol local waterways, organize environmental cleanups, educate the public, and testify in pollution cases and public arenas. Find your local waterkeeper at waterkeeper.org.N
By: S. Michal Bennett
Photography by: Joel Riner
As seen in the 2025 Winter/Spring edition