Our Gem, Coeur d’Alene Lake

The Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative is a team of committed and passionate professionals working to protect our local water resources. Participating entities include University of Idaho Community Water Resource Center, Coeur d’Alene Tribe Lake Management Department, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Kootenai Environmental Alliance, and CDA 2030.

Our Gem: Who’s the National Academy of Sciences, and what do they want with Our Gem, Coeur d’Alene Lake?

One of the partners of the Our Gem Collaborative

OUR GEM: Climate and the health of Our Gem

When our temperatures dip below zero, it’s hard to imagine how overall warming temperatures might be impacting our lake. Unfortunately, despite some frigid stretches, Coeur d’Alene Lake is already experiencing increases in temperature that can impact many aspects of its ecological health, including water quality and fish habitat.

CDA: Great job keeping lake clean

On behalf of the Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative, we would like to express our appreciation to the city of Coeur d’Alene and their Parks and Streets Departments for their dedicated efforts in cleaning up the fallen trees from our last wind storm a month ago.

Our Gem: Be a smarter gardener

The way we care for our lawns and gardens has a huge impact on our waterways and environment

The way we care for our lawns and gardens has a huge impact on our waterways and environment.

Traveling state Capitol

POST FALLS - In honor of the state Capitol reopening, a traveling exhibition called "Our Historic Gem - Idaho's State Capitol" will be presented in Post Falls at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 6, at City Hall, 408 N. Spokane St.

Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative

Along the shores of Coeur d’Alene Lake, citizen scientists are keeping a close eye and detailed log of changes in the water.

ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Crystals for balance

Shadow and light, high and low, yin and yang, root and crown — balance is everything in life and can have a huge impact on your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Being out of balance can be super jarring and can cause us to trip up and feel unsteady as we move through life. Without balance, we can feel lost or pulled in a thousand different directions and we may struggle with decision making, healthy emotional flow, and in our sense of communication and connection, both with ourselves and the wider world.

OUR GEM: Exploring the Cd'A basin - Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

The Coeur d’Alene Basin, land of the Schitsu’umsh people or the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, has always been considered a beautiful place and a not-so hidden gem. One of the attractions of our area is the beautiful Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s. This asphalted trail covers 73 miles and is a longtime favorite of bikers everywhere.

LODGE: Restoration works

A recent Coeur d’Alene Press article written by Dave Walker and Sandy Emerson draws attention to a strong undercurrent of energy devoted to the preservation of “historic gems” here in our community.

'Go on' and sign those Idaho ballot initiatives

There is some irony in the precarious position the Gem State has found itself. Despite setting a goal in 2010 for 60 percent of Idaho’s young people under age 34 to attend postsecondary education, the Idaho Legislature then decided the way to encourage young people to attend college is to significantly inflate the tuition costs for those would-be students in the subsequent years that followed.

Our Gem: Keeping Coeur d’Alene Lake’s water quality in check

Did you know Coeur d’Alene Lake is part of the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site?

OUR GEM: Re-MEMBER-ing the Kootenai Environmental Alliance

Over the last 50 years, Kootenai Environmental Alliance (KEA) has been a leader in environmental activism, advocacy, and education in conserving, protecting and restoring North Idaho. When it comes to Our Gem, KEA has been and will continue to be a voice for Coeur d’Alene Lake and all the water resources of this wonderful part of the country.

Shine on, you lovely Shriners

Organization comes to the rescue of Hayden Senior Center patrons.

NIC ELECTION: Vote for Broschet, Corkill and Zimmerman

The future of our community gem is in jeopardy.

OUR GEM: The future of water quality in Lake Coeur d’Alene

Over the last two years, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reviewed water quality data from Coeur d’Alene Lake.

OUR GEM: EPA’s Superfund Job Training Initiative coming to Bunker Hill

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund Job Training Initiative, or SuperJTI, supports job readiness programs in communities affected by nearby Superfund sites and encourages the employment of trainees at local site cleanups.

Our Gem: Keep your butts out of the water

November is typically the rainiest month of the year in Coeur d’Alene.

Our Gem: Keeping dirt where it belongs

Here comes the rain again saturating the soil and filling streams and rivers to their capacity.

NIC: Where are the adults?

I was a student at NIC on the GI bill in 1970-1972 and it was a great facility then. A resident of Coeur d’Alene on and off for 40+ years and my wife is an Idaho native. I can’t believe what is currently happening at our Idaho Gem.