Water Quality

WA and ID sign MOU to monitor effects of proposed summer discharges from Post Falls Dam

A memorandum of understanding allows Washinton, Idaho and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe to participate in a monitoring study of Post Falls Dam. The study will be used to determine final conditions that Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will place on summer discharges of water at Post Falls Dam. These conditions are part of Avista’s proposed 50 year license to continue operating Post Falls Dam. The Spokane River Forum reports.

Crowd urges caution on sewage plant

A hearing held by Spokane County commissioners drew a diverse crowd of people with concerns about entering a $170 million contract to build a wastewater treatment plant before getting necessary discharge permits. The county does not know whether discharge from the plant will be allowed into the Spokane River. The Spokesman Review reports.

Federal, state and tribal agencies release workplan and schedule to assess dissolved oxygen in Spokane River and Lake Spokane.

The attached work plan and schedule describes the objectives, structure, responsibilities, personnel, and decision-making process that will be used by four agencies to develop the inter-state Spokane River water quality model. A letter describing Ecology’s interpretation of the Washington water quality standard for dissolved oxygen in Lake Spokane is also attached.

Saltese Flats a potential wetlands location, county examines lake bed options

Saltese Flats has attracted the attention of county officials who are looking for ways to maintain the health of the Spokane River in the face of population growth. They think the existing drainage system could be modified to re-create a wetland to store winter and spring runoff and allow it to soak more slowly into the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. The Spokesman Review reports.