Ecology begins Spokane River Beach Clean-up

The Washington Department of Ecology will clean-up four Spokane River beaches in Spokane Valley during September and October. Clean-up will address the accumulation of lead, arsenic, zinc and cadmium that washed downstream from historic mining practices in the Coeur d’Alene basin. Beach locations include Barker Road north, Islands Lagoon, Myrtle Point and Flora Road.

Said Dave George, the Ecology project manager supervising this effort, “Actions include a combination of excavation and capping.  Capping involves covering the contaminated areas with gravel and rock to both prevent human contact and stabilize the areas from ongoing erosion.”

At Barker Road, Ecology is also partnering with the Forum and Spokane Conservation District to improve the river access area. Said Andy Dunau the Forum’s Executive Director, “This is a popular access location. As part of developing the Spokane River Water Trail, we’re planning a number of improvements. With Ecology’s help, we’re hoping to make the trail down to the river less steep; with the Conservation District, we’ll line up volunteers to re-vegetate the area with native plants; and with Riverside State Park, we’ll put in some way-finding signage.”