Receding water could be contaminated
As swollen North Idaho rivers and lakes begin to recede, officials are turning their attention to possible contamination and debris left behind by the raging waters.
For the first time in several days, the level of Lake Coeur d’Alene and several rivers that flow into it dropped, Kootenai County sheriff’s Lt. Kim Edmonson said.
The Coeur d’Alene River at Cataldo was at 2,141.76 feet of elevation on Friday, which is below flood stage. In Benewah County, the St. Joe River, after cresting at 36.94 feet on Thursday, dropped 8 inches by Friday afternoon.
“Once the lake goes down, that will allow more of our water to come down,” said Norm Suenkel, Benewah County’s director of emergency management.
A no-wake edict remained in effect on the lake to prevent damage to shoreline property, and officials advised people to refrain from swimming until they can determine which potentially harmful contaminants and debris are still floating around.
“With the conditions of the lake right now, the safest thing to do is just not be on there,” Edmondson said.
The water will be tested for contamination, Edmondson said.
“We don’t know what the contamination level is, so people need to take precautions,” she said.
While the falling water levels offered hope, flood observers were waiting to see if the danger has passed in the region. “There’s still quite a bit of snow and that additional melt may cause water levels to rise again next week,” Edmondson said.
Possible sources of contamination included flooded campground bathrooms, erosion lead deposits from the Silver Valley, agricultural operations and saturation of individual sewage disposal systems.
Monitoring after flooding in 1996 and 1997 found lead in the lake, often above the Environmental Protection Agency action limit of 15 parts per billion.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality issued an alert advising people not to drink or use water from flooded lakes and rivers. “The standard procedure of boiling or adding chlorine will not remove chemicals from the water,” the agency said.
Logs and other debris also continue to make boating conditions hazardous, Edmondson said.
The level of the lake Friday afternoon was about a foot over flood stage and nearly 7 feet over the summer level.
The test may come Tuesday when the temperature is expected to rise to the low 70s.
Despite the high water, there has been minimal property damage reported, Edmondson said.
As water levels come down, the Kootenai County emergency center will turn its focus to cleanup, Edmondson said.
“Private property owners are responsible for clearing their areas and that doesn’t mean pushing the debris back into the lake or river,” Edmondson said.
The county plans to assist with disposal options and may provide wood chippers in several locations, she said.