North Idaho's gem

COEUR d'ALENE - Lake Coeur d'Alene has had its environmental problems in the past, but water experts said Tuesday that it is still a healthy lake, though close management will be needed to maintain it.

"Our Gem, Coeur d'Alene Lake Collaborative," was the name of a symposium held Tuesday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort to discuss the past five years of Lake Coeur d'Alene Management Plan implementation.

Nearly 200 people came to discuss the history of the Lake Management Plan, the health of the lake and plans to manage its health into the future.

The day-long symposium kicked off a three-day water conference that resumes today with more than a dozen plenary sessions covering topics ranging from water adjudication to minimum stream flows in the Spokane River and how that could affect water users in Kootenai County.

The first panel discussion Tuesday covered the history of the Lake Management Plan and how much progress water managers have made in the past five years.

The Lake Management Plan was developed as part of the negotiations between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Idaho, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and the mining companies that participated in the expansion of the Bunker Hill Superfund site in the 1990s.

For the past five years, the Coeur d'Alene Lake Management Plan staff has been extensively studying the metals and nutrients in the lake and how they interact.

What they have learned is that under certain conditions, heavy metals on the bottom of the lake could be released if nutrients are elevated in the lake, so nutrient control is key to keeping the lake healthy.

"We need to control the nutrients in the lake to maintain high oxygen in the lake," said Dr. Craig Cooper, from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. "The lake is still looking good, but it may be starting to trend away from an oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) state."

Cooper was one of several scientists who helped the crowd of students, tribal members, water managers and politicians understand the complex nature of the lake.

He showed computer modeling that indicates conditions over the past three years could be headed toward a tipping point where the lake starts becoming eutrophic, or nutrient-rich.

"Overall some of the metals are declining, but metabolism is trending away from oligotrophic status," Cooper said. "But it isn't a big problem today."

He said the key to preventing future problems is to continue monitoring the interaction between the metals and nutrients in the lake.

Dale Chess, who works on the Lake Management Plan for the Tribe, gave a presentation on the modeling of the lake's food web. He discussed how metals management could affect plankton in the lake that other species depend on as a food source.

Carson Watkins, from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, gave an overview of the fishery in the lake, explaining the balance between the lake's warm- and cold-water fish species.

He also explained the difference between the native and non-native species in the lake.

"We need to strike and maintain a balance between native and non-native species as well," he said.

Jon Firehammer, from the Tribe, explained the predator effects on the cutthroat population in the lake. He explained how certain species are competing with or preying on the native trout population.

Firehammer said the Tribe has spent the past 10 years studying the cutthroat trout in two streams on the southern portion of the lake. He said they have found only 2 percent of the trout return to spawn in adulthood, and that should be 10 times higher.

While there could be many causes for that low return, Firehammer said, predatory behavior is certainly one factor.

They have trapped several northern pike and smallmouth bass and found, among other species, redband cutthroat trout. His study shows several areas in the lake where the problem occurs more often, but Windy Bay appears to be where the problem is most persistent.

A luncheon panel of speakers was assembled to try and put an economic value on the lake.

"The value more than exceeds what we are going to talk about today," said Steve Griffitts, president of Jobs Plus.

Griffitts said the lake has 100 miles of buildable waterfront and, depending on the economy, that land alone would be valued between $1 billion to $2 billion. He said the actual direct economic impact of the lake is $2.1 billion a year and the economic impact on support industries is more than $200 million a year.

Chip Corsi, IDFG, said the fisheries' economic impact was measured by his agency in 2011. They learned the statewide impact is close to $500 million annually, and $20 million in Kootenai County alone.

Lake Coeur d'Alene is responsible for $11 million of that county impact, and the Coeur d'Alene River alone generates $6.7 million annually.

Corsi explained that the study takes into account all spending associated with a fishing trip, including overnight stays, restaurants and fuel.

He said there are also hidden economic impacts associated with the wildlife that is attracted by the lake's fisheries, such as osprey and eagle watching boat tours.

Wanda Quinn, with the University of Idaho, said she lives on Fernan Lake - which has severe water quality issues, especially with blue algae blooms.

"Fernan is not healthy and we don't want Lake Coeur d'Alene to go that way," she said. "Imagine what would happen to our community if what happened to Fernan happened to Lake Coeur d'Alene."

Quanah Matheson, of the Tribe, likened the lake to one of his elders.

"From our perspective, the lake is a female. When we go to the lake, we go to nurse," he said. "If you look at the lake as a person, you will treat it differently."

Toward the end of the day, the audience was asked to separate into groups and give input into where the next phase of the Coeur d'Alene lake collaborative is headed.

The conference will focus on downstream water issues starting today and into Thursday.