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"We cannot afford to squander the gift of our current abundance of water." --Barry Rosenberg
Water is critical to all life on Earth. Residents of the Inland Northwest are fortunate to have beautiful lakes, clear rivers and pure drinking water available. These resources are indeed the reason many of us live here. That is why it is imperative to protect and conserve these precious water resources and the life that depends on them. Kootenai Environmental Alliance is a leading advocate for water conservation and water quality protection across the Inland Northwest. The bountiful waterbodies in our area as well as the unseen Rathdrum Prairie-Spokane Valley Aquifer promote the common misconception is that our water resources are secure and plentiful. Although the area has agreed not to mine the aquifer yet, in-stream flows in the Spokane River are reaching perilously low levels in the peak water-use season. In addition, water quality in the Spokane River has degraded due to elevated phosphorous levels, heavy metals from Silver Valley mining and PCBs. We must take swift and steady action now to conserve and protect this life-essential resource.
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Intelligent choices concerning water use today will help ensure an adequate water supply in the future. In order to conserve the finite water resources of North Idaho and the Rathdrum Prairie-Spokane Valley Aquifer, KEA is advocating for a revision of Idaho's water rights allocation policies, enforcing the Rathdrum Aquifer Ground Water Management Area Plan, and helping to establish a water conservation ethic in the region. As part of this program, KEA monitors water right applications in North Idaho to assess whether or not they are a conservative use of water and protests applications if necessary. In addition, KEA is working in partnership with the cities of Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls as well as other municipal water providers on voluntary water conservation programs and promotion of water-wise landscaping to reduce the amount of water used by homeowners and businesses. |
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Many of the regions surface water bodies, such as Coeur d’ Alene Lake, Hayden Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, and the Spokane River are impacted by poor water quality. Our regions surface and ground waters are threatened by high nutrient levels, heavy metal contamination and industrial pollutants such as PCBs and hydrocarbons. These water quality threats affect fish, waterfowl and human health. Furthermore, impairments that affect surface water bodies may degrade water quality in the Rathdrum Prairie-Spokane Valley Aquifer, the main source of drinking water for the entire region. We must be steadfast in our defense of the Inland Northwest’s incredible water resources. |
