Category: Building Idaho’s Future and CDA Lake – Projects
Coeur d’Alene Lake Comprehensive Coring Project
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Project Sponsor
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Purpose
This project is a collaboration between the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, University of Oregon, and Indiana State University. This team is analyzing lakebed sediment core samples from Coeur d’Alene Lake and determining how the history of metals contamination and recovery actions along the Coeur d’Alene River have impacted the lake. The analyses focus on geochemistry and ecological parameters through time and seeks to answer the following questions:
- What was the lake’s baseline ecology and environmental condition before mining impacts and other human activities?
- How has the lake’s ecology and environmental condition changed through the mining era and the subsequent remedial, restoration, and lake management work?
- If recent history continues, how do we expect the lake’s ecology and environmental conditions to respond, given the paleolimnologic context generated by this study?
Funding
This project received $200,000 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative, with matching funds provided by Avista Corp ($200,000) and the Coeur d’Alene Basin Restoration Partnership.
Current Status
Core samples were collected in September 2024. The analyses have started and will continue over the next two to three years. The final report is expected in 2027.
Outcome
This project will provide information to guide future restoration efforts. More realistic lake restoration goals can be set when viewed through a richer historical lens than what is provide by the current lake monitoring record.
Third Street Stormwater Volume Reduction Project
Project Sponsor
City of Coeur d’Alene
Purpose
The city of Coeur d’Alene is installing a stormwater storage and filtration system to divert stormwater runoff from an existing outfall.
The Third Street outfall discharges stormwater from 240 acres of city streets and parking areas, including downtown alleys. The outfall currently releases this stormwater, untreated, by the Third Street boat launch next to McEuen Park. While all stormwater carries pollutants as it passes over residential yards, city parks, sidewalks, and streets, this area includes special considerations related to dumpsters, grease, food waste, cigarette butts, and other substances that tend to concentrate in downtown streets and alleys. In addition, large rainfall events have overwhelmed the capacity of this storm system in recent years, causing localized flooding.
Improved stormwater treatments will manage this runoff and reduce pollutant loading to Coeur d’Alene Lake.
Funding
This project received $413,143 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
Project design is complete and out for bid.
Outcome
Currently, the funding available is not sufficient to treat stormwater from the entire drainage area, but this project is expected to reduce phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake by at least 35 pounds annually. As more funding is secured, the city will expand the treatment capacity.
Mica Creek Floodplain Access Improvement Project
Project Sponsor
Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District
Purpose
This project restores floodplain access to Mica Creek on private land during high-water events.
Historical farming practices diked the lower portion of Mica Creek, restricting floodplain access. Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District removed a portion of the dike, allowing the stream to access the floodplain. This access allows sediment deposition within the floodplain and reduce sediment runoff into Coeur d’Alene Lake. This work also slowed downstream flow, reduced streambank erosion, and improved groundwater recharge.
Funding
This project received $56,512 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
This project is complete. The floodplain channel was constructed in summer 2023, and a portion of the dike separating Mica Creek from the overflow channel was removed in summer 2024. Project monitoring will be done in spring 2025.
Outcome
This project is expected to reduce phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake by 200 pounds annually.
Risk-Based Evaluation of Selected Recreational Areas in Coeur d’Alene Lake and Spokane River
Project Sponsor
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Purpose
This project determines if key contaminants, currently present in sediments and recreational waters in Coeur d’Alene Lake and the Spokane River, can cause harm to public health. This project is based on a recommendation from the 2022 National Academies of Sciences report and includes a public outreach and sampling component.
Engagement
IDEQ is leading this project and began planning activities and stakeholder engagement in 2023 with Alta Science and Engineering, Inc. Efforts include gaining input from the public, state and federal officials, and tribal leaders through a questionnaire, press release, and comment opportunities.
Sampling
Environmental sampling occurred in summer 2024. Based on 2023 public engagement activities, monitoring focused on high-use areas at Coeur d’Alene Lake and along the Spokane River. Samples collected included beach sediment, sediments in shallow water areas, lake water near recreational areas, and some upland soil. Results are being analyzed to determine if recreation on and around these water bodies may pose human health risks. These results will also be compared to a similar 1998 field study. Findings will be shared late summer 2025, with a final report released in 2026.
Funding
This project received $855,000 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
Sampling results from data collected in summer 2024 are currently being analyzed.
The sampling data will be used to develop a human health risk assessment that DEQ and other project stakeholders will rely on to make future management decisions.
A final report is expected in 2026.
Wolf Lodge Creek Improvement Project
Project Sponsor:
Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District
Purpose
This project restores 6,000 feet of riparian vegetation along two separate sections of Wolf Lodge Creek to reduce lateral streambank erosion and reestablish habitat for Westslope Cutthroat Trout. The Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District is working with a private landowner and contractor to replace a rusted culvert currently located on a tributary to lower Wolf Lodge Creek and to stabilize adjacent streambanks. Willow planting started in 2023 and was completed in fall 2024.
This project continues nine years of restoration efforts in the Wolf Lodge watershed. More information is provided at Restoration Partnership.
Funding
This project received $158,337 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
Work on one of two sections along Wolf Lodge Creek is complete. Willow planting took place in fall 2023 and monitoring will continue throughout the project. Fencing to keep livestock from entering a section of the creek was installed.
Culvert work and additional willow planting took place in fall 2024. Monitoring of plantings will take place in spring 2025.
Outcome
This project is expected to reduce phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake by approximately 94 pounds annually.
Schlagel Draw Sediment Management Project
Project Sponsor
Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District
Purpose
This project prevents sediment runoff into Cataldo Slough from South Schlagel Road, upstream from the slough. The Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District worked with a landowner along the road to establish a depositional area, which is a site where sediment can accumulate rather than flow into nearby water bodies. To create this area, the conservation district helped the landowner construct several water control structures in the creek drainage.
The project aimed to increase shade and wildlife habitat on a seasonal creek to increase year-round flow, an effort known as stream permanence.
Funding
This project received $24,293 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
This project is complete, and additional floodplain work was completed in fall 2024. Water levels and plantings will be monitored in spring 2025.
Outcome
This project is expected to reduce phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake by approximately 10 pounds annually.
North Fork Coeur d’Alene Riverbank Stabilization Project
Project Sponsor
Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District
Purpose
This project reduces streambank erosion on the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River. The Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District worked with landowners near Prichard, Idaho, to stabilize 100 linear feet of eroding streambank with bioengineered techniques. The district provided project engineering, oversight, and certification support to ensure proper installation.
Funding
This project received $44,027 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
Construction on this project was completed during summer 2023. Future monitoring will evaluate the bioengineering success and document the amount of vegetative survival and growth.
Outcome
This project is expected to reduce phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake by approximately 12 pounds annually.
Santa-Fernwood Wastewater Reuse Project
Project Sponsor
Santa-Fernwood Water and Sewer District
Purpose
This project will construct a reclaimed water system in the communities of Santa and Fernwood, Idaho, to decrease nutrient loads in Coeur d’Alene Lake via the St. Maries River. The project is jointly managed by the Fernwood Water and Sewer District and Santa Water and Sewer District and involves acquiring land and constructing a water system to provide reclaimed water for agricultural/silvicultural purposes (land-applying treated water instead of discharging it to surface water).
Funding
This project received $7.01 million from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
Land has been acquired for the reuse portion of this project. The design of the water reuse system is ongoing. Operational modifications to the existing wastewater treatment plant have been initiated to accommodate project design and construction. The project is expected to enter the bidding phase by June 2025, with construction to follow shortly after.
Outcome
This project is expected to reduce phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake by approximately 660 pounds annually.
Page Wastewater Treatment Plant Tertiary Treatment System
Project Sponsor
South Fork Coeur d’Alene River Sewer District
Purpose
This project installs a tertiary treatment system at the Page Wastewater Treatment Plant. The facility currently treats most of the wastewater in the Silver Valley from Kingston to Wallace, serving a population of 7,055.
Funding
This project received $17 million from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative and $4.4 million was added to this award for additional work.
Current Status
The South Fork Sewer District completed the geotechnical improvement project to improve and stabilize the soil for the future treatment system. The engineering design for the new facility is complete and approved by DEQ. Construction will begin in spring 2025 and completed by the end of 2026.
Outcome
This project is expected to reduce current phosphorus loading to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River by 7,015 pounds annually.
St. Joe River Basin Nutrient Source Inventory
Project Sponsor
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
Purpose
This project evaluates phosphorus loading from streams and rivers that discharge into the southern end of Coeur d’Alene Lake. The information obtained will set priorities for future nutrient reduction efforts.
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe is leading this study, based on a recommendation from the 2022 National Academies of Sciences report. The study will be conducted over two years and include 35 monitoring locations in the St. Joe and St. Maries River basins and Benewah, Lake, and Plummer Creeks. Together, these water bodies contribute an estimated 80 tons of phosphorus into the lake each year, accounting for almost 40% of the total phosphorus load.
Funding
This project received $1.2 million from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe hired a hydrologist and two hydrologic technicians. Monitoring began spring 2024 and will continue through 2025.
Outcome
After completing the study, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe will develop a nutrient management action plan for these watersheds. A final report on nutrient loading is expected in late 2025.
Coeur d’Alene Lake Science Coordination Team
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Project Sponsor
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, with participation from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, US Geological Survey, US Environmental Protection Agency, and University of Idaho.
Purpose
This project establishes a technical team to further the scientific understanding of Coeur d’Alene Lake, including influences from the surrounding basin and Spokane River. Based on recommendations from the 2022 National Academies of Sciences report, the team will work to improve communication of data collected from the Coeur d’Alene basin to inform decision makers and the general public. This effort aims to increase scientific knowledge that will support resource management decisions made to protect public health, ecological health, beneficial uses, and cultural uses.
Funding
This project received $150,000 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative. This initial funding will support the facilitation and development of the science coordination team for the first three years. The team’s work is anticipated to extend beyond three years, but operations are contingent upon long-term funding.
Current Status
The Coeur d’Alene Lake Science Coordination Team includes water quality experts from DEQ, USGS, EPA, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and University of Idaho. The team is completing a priorities document that will guide coordinated research and establish a unified research plan to avoid duplicating efforts.
Outcome
The team will produce a report identifying scientific priorities for Coeur d’Alene Lake and will annually update progress towards those objectives. The team will also develop a basin-wide integrated trend analysis in coordination with EPA’s five-year review of cleanup activities in the Coeur d’Alene Basin.
Northside Stormwater Drainage Improvements (Sunnyside Road)
Project Sponsor
East Side Highway District
Purpose
This project rebuilt and paved approximately 24,000 square feet of gravel outside the city of Coeur d’Alene on Sunnyside Road, between Bonnell and Yellowstone Roads. Roadside ditches were lined with riprap to prevent future erosion and sediment discharge, and small check dams were installed within roadside ditches to reduce stormwater flow velocity.
Funding
This project received $643,830 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
The road was completed fall 2024.
Outcome
This project decreased phosphorus loading from sediment discharge into Coeur d’Alene Lake at Blue Creek Bay and improved travel for the community.
Kellogg Joint School District 391 Stormwater Improvements
Project Sponsor
Kellogg Joint School District 391
Purpose
This project managed stormwater at the Kellogg Joint School District 391, including a 24-acre middle school and administrative annex campus. The project involved regrading solid surfaces of parking lots and access roads, removing parking islands, adding bioswales, and replacing some hard surfaces with pervious pavement options.
These stormwater improvements are expected to treat up to 90% of the stormwater entering the school campus and reduce phosphorus loads into the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River. Construction was completed during summer 2024.
Funding
This project received $745,000 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
The project was completed in September 2024.
Outcome
This project is expected to reduce phosphorus loads to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River by 41 pounds annually.
City of Kellogg Stormwater Management Upgrades (Phases 1, 2, and 3)
Project Sponsor
City of Kellogg
Purpose
This project improves stormwater management at the City of Kellogg’s stormwater outfalls and consists of three phases.
In Phase 1, the city improved stormwater management at three outfalls (the points of discharge into a stream, river, or other water body. These outfalls are located at Hill Street, Bunker Creek, and North Kellogg. By reducing the amount of stormwater that flows out of these outfalls, the city aims to reduce the volume of metals, phosphorus, and other pollutants that eventually enter Coeur d’Alene Lake via the Coeur d’Alene River. The outfall upgrade at Bunker Creek also adds greenspace to the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.
In Phase 2, the city plans to address stormwater at Government Gulch by restoring and improving swales and ponds for better stormwater retention. The city will also focus on southeast Kellogg to upgrade existing stormwater channels, sediment basins, and dry wells.
In Phase 3, the city is identifying remaining needs and will be planning improvements to the stormwater management system with available funding. This Leading Idaho funding allowed the city to conduct a comprehensive assessment and document areas for installation upgrades. The City will select the most cost-effective technologies to mitigate stormwater runoff in as many of these areas as funding will address.
Funding
This project received the following from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative:
- Phase 1: $570,000
- Phase 2: $1.1 million
- Phase 3: $670,000
Current Status
Phase 1 – Three project areas are complete: Bunker Creek Bioswale, South Hill Street continuous deflective separation (CDS) structure, and North Hill Street inlet modification and filters.
Phase 2
- Project Area 1—Government Gulch Channel Restoration. Design is at the 95% level. The goal is to finish design and obtain a bid in May 2025 for construction, scheduled for end of summer 2025 (low water season).
- Project Area 2—Southeast Kellogg. Design is at the 60% level. The goal is to finish the design in and obtain a bid for construction in coordination with the Government Gulch Channel Restoration project. Several common work items, such as earthwork, best management practices, and revegetation, can be conducted by the same company and provide a cost savings.
- Project Area 3—Supplemental Maintenance Equipment. The Vactor Truck was purchased and is currently used by city staff to perform much-needed stormwater maintenance activities. The city has cleaned over 25 storm catchments, 3 storm channels, and 2 miles of storm pipe.
Phase 3 – Outstanding Areas of Kellogg
- Task 1—System Investigations and Survey. Cleaning, video recording, and mapping of the investigation area’s stormwater system are complete. A survey of the inlets and surrounding areas is also complete.
- Task 2—Engineering Design. Project analysis and selection is underway. During April 2025, the selected phosphorus reduction projects will be presented to DEQ for comment. Bidding of projects is anticipated in summer 2025.
- Task 3—Construction and Final Reporting. Not started.
Outcome
This project is estimated to reduce phosphorus inputs to the Coeur d’Alene River by over 700 pounds annually.
Coeur d’Alene Stormwater Outfall Volume Reduction Project
Project Sponsor
City of Coeur d’Alene
Purpose
This project installed stormwater storage and filter systems at outfalls located at Independence Point, Sanders Beach, and along Mullan Avenue in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. These management strategies divert stormwater runoff from existing discharge points, also known as outfalls, in the urban drainage areas and provide water quality information to the community.
Stormwater runoff pollutants from yards, sidewalks, and streets eventually flow into storm drains that discharge directly to Coeur d’Alene Lake in these neighborhoods. Two Sanders Beach outfalls collect runoff from 76 acres, and the East Mullan outfall drains 13 acres of area. The Independence Point outfall conveys runoff from 131 acres to the lake. Before these stormwater management installations, pet and wildlife waste, vehicle fluid, any fertilizer not taken up by lawns and gardens, and anything spilled onto sidewalks, gutters, alleys, and streets in these areas flowed untreated into Coeur d’Alene Lake. This project redirects runoff through a variety of filtration systems and, barring high precipitation or snowmelt events, prevents this surface runoff from reaching the lake.
Even with these management measures in place, residents and visitors must be mindful about daily habits such as fertilizer use and waste disposal. Less pollution to capture and filter means less maintenance time and cost. Filtration systems can be overwhelmed, increasing the possibility that phosphorus and other pollutants in stormwater can reach Coeur d’Alene Lake.
Funding
This project received $1.4 million from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
The work for all of these outfalls is complete.
Outcome
This project is expected to reduce phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake by approximately 280 pounds annually. The estimated phosphorus load reductions for each drainage area are as follows:
- Sanders Beach: 140 pounds of phosphorus/year
- Mullan Avenue: 20 pounds of phosphorus/year
- Independence Point: 120 pounds of phosphorus/year
Northside Stormwater Drainage Improvements (Marmot Trail Road)
Project Sponsor
East Side Highway District
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to improve drainage systems along Marmot Trail Road, which includes approximately 3,600 feet of asphalt along a steep gradient. Managing erosion will reduce discharge into the north end of Coeur d’Alene Lake.
Funding
This project was awarded $14,100 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Status
This project is complete.
Outcome
This project is expected to decrease phosphorus loading and sediment discharge from soil erosion that flows from stormwater into Coeur d’Alene Lake near the Silver Beach Marina.
Mica Creek Watershed Agricultural Sediment Reduction and Improvement Project (Phase 2)
Project Sponsor
Kootenai Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District
Purpose
This project stabilized 1,600 feet of streambank on Mica Creek, a tributary to Coeur d’Alene Lake, by removing collapsed vegetation, armoring the banks, and replanting willows to prevent further erosion. These upgrades will reduce sediment and phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake.
Funding
This project received $49,000 from Governor Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.
Current Status
The project was completed in summer 2024.
Outcome
This project is estimated to reduce phosphorus loads to Coeur d’Alene Lake by 50 pounds annually.