Our Gem: Evaluating risk in Lake Coeur d’Alene recreational areas
Map courtesy of Our Gem.
The Coeur d’Alene River Basin, Lake Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane River are impacted by heavy metals from historic mining practices that began in the 1880s. This has resulted in the area being designated as an EPA National Priorities List (NPL) Site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The site was listed in 1983 and is known as the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site.
Although mining practices have evolved, in tandem with operations and their discharges being regulated to protect water quality, the Coeur d’Alene watershed continues to contend with the impacts of historic mining.
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