The Future of Water Quality in Coeur d’Alene Lake - Session 2
Channel: National Academies - Earth and Life Studies
Date: 2021-02-26

Historic mining activities near Coeur d’Alene Lake in Northern Idaho have contaminated millions of tons of lake sediments with metals.  Since enacting environmental regulations in the mid-1970s, metal concentrations in the lake have declined.  However, shoreline development, land-use changes within the basin, and other dynamics could reverse this success by increasing nutrient loading that could release metals bound to lake sediments.  Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Kootenai County, and EPA, with the support of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, have asked the National Academies to analyze data and information about lake water quality and provide recommendations to address issues of concern.

The public is invited to the first meeting of the Committee on the Future of Water Quality in Coeur d’Alene Lake. This committee meeting will take place virtually, via Zoom, and will include two open sessions with presentations from study sponsors and an open-mic period to hear stakeholder comments at the end of the first session.