Rain, melting snow close Kootenai schools

Water was everywhere in the Kootenai School District on Monday, forcing the district to cancel classes for the day and again today.

Water entered the boiler room of the junior high and high school, said Superintendent Lynette Ferguson.

"When (staff) pulled in, it was nothing we anticipated," Ferguson said. "We had issues with every building."

She said school staff assisted with sandbagging and pumping. The bus routes had just started when school officials decided to pull the plug on classes for the day.

"Some buses had two or three students and they just turned around and dropped the kids off back at home," Ferguson said. "Most of our routes were impacted."

Among the hardest-hit areas of the district were Hells Gulch, Willow Creek, Bell Canyon and Berma Road.

Ferguson said classes are expected to resume Wednesday with drier weather predicted, but some bus routes may still be affected.

Meanwhile, melting snow and rainwater caused a pump station near Fernwood to overflow and wastewater to enter the St. Maries River on Monday morning.

The wastewater "predominantly" consisted of snow melt and rainwater, according to a press release from the Fernwood Water and Sewer District.

"With the river at flood stage, the wastewater is greatly diluted," the press release states.

However, the public is advised to avoid contact with the river downstream of Fernwood until further notice. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality was contacted.

The sewer district recently completed the first stage of a collection system upgrade. It is pursuing a study to identify and prevent groundwater from entering the system. It recently applied for a grant to help with the study and repairs.

For more information on the Fernwood situation, contact Marzetta Reimann at 245-3554.