THE DIRT: Stormwater management in the Silver Valley
A stormwater mitigation project was recently completed on the Kellogg School District's middle school and administrative annex campus.
Courtesy photo
The Silver Valley has long been vulnerable to flooding during spring runoff, and one major disaster made clear how these events can threaten not only public safety but also the progress of environmental cleanup. The flooding event at Milo Creek in 1997 was especially significant, it not only caused widespread damage but also re-contaminated several properties that had already undergone remediation. In response, Milo Creek became the focus of a collaborative effort that led to major stormwater infrastructure upgrades. These upgrades were designed not just to mitigate flooding, but also to protect the integrity of past and future remediation efforts.
Following the improvements in Milo Creek, stormwater systems were enhanced throughout the Silver Valley, particularly in the large gulches that can carry massive volumes of runoff during major flood events. Most of these improvements focused on capturing stormwater and piping it directly into the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River to reduce the risk of localized flooding and erosion.
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