Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper

04/28/2022

Update from Lake Pend Oreille High School: After just one day, the students’ “Cigarette Monster” ate 4 ci******es and none were found nearby! Thank you to these students for your work to prevent pollution and keep our waterways clean! 👏

04/14/2022

After 13 years working to protect the Pend Oreille/Clark Fork Watershed, LPOW has transferred their advocacy and monitoring programs to the Idaho Conservation League (ICL), Idaho’s leading statewide conservation organization. This transition could lead to the expansion of LPOW's model water quality monitoring program and will enhance ICL’s ability to advocate for clean water. LPOW’s educational programs will be transferred to Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT). Their mission is to care for the lands and people of the Kaniksu Region, today, tomorrow, and forever.

On Friday, April 15th, LPOW will close their office doors and cease operations. We will no longer be answering our office phone nor responding to emails. If you have any concerns about your lake, please contact ICL at (208) 345-6933. In terms of LPOW staff, Steve will still be a steadfast lake advocate and continue protecting our lake as a concerned citizen (while not fishing) and Carolyn will be taking off next week to return to the US Forest Service as a biological science technician. Our board of directors will still be present and keep the nonprofit status of LPOW, but our involvement with the community will no longer be active.

From all of us here at LPOW, we want to thank our community for all the support we have received over the years. All that we accomplished would not have been possible without our volunteers, our supporters, our members, and our community. We hope that you will continue to support the protection of our precious waterways through ICL and KLT as they continue our efforts to keep our beautiful watershed swimmable, fishable, and drinkable for years to come.

Cheers,
The LPOW Team

Photo by Kirk Miller.

04/12/2022

Thank you to Washington Elementary 5th grade for learning about lake ecology with us! This morning, Carolyn worked with students to build a lake model of Lake Pend Oreille. We then learned about lake ecosystems and how we can all do our part to keep our lake clean and healthy.

This was LPOW’s last educational event. We are so happy to have worked with so many amazing students and fellow educators in our watershed. These kids are so smart and inspirational. We’re excited for this next generation of environmental stewards!

04/05/2022

THANK YOU so much to everyone who came to our Shoreline Clean Up last Saturday! Over 30 folks braved the worst weather we've had in weeks to volunteer and pick up trash along City Beach. The treasure trove was in Windbag Marina, where volunteers from Wells Fargo hauled out a massive heap of trash! And in the Sand Creek Marina, Idaho Conservation League's North Idaho Director, Brad Smith, pulled out another two tires from the water.

Volunteers reported that the most common trash they saw were band-aids, chewing gum, cigarette butts, and microplastics. Odd items included a welcome mat, a large pink plastic sheet, a metal spoon, and a pair of glasses. Please remember to always pack-out what you pack-in and leave places better than you found it! We are lucky to have such a clean watershed, but every bit of trash has the potential to cause damage. Please do your part and help keep Lake Pend Oreille swimmable, fishable, and drinkable for years to come.

This was LPOW's last clean up event and we are so grateful for the support we've had for over 13 years. If you have any questions about future clean ups in our watershed, contact ICL's North Idaho office. Thanks again for volunteering with us!

04/01/2022

Join LPOW and Idaho Conservation League tomorrow morning at Sandpoint City Beach for our Shoreline Clean Up from 10AM - 1PM!

Jayme Stone • Down Yonder

03/30/2022

Students at Lake Pend Oreille High School are learning about water chemistry and doing projects with The Confluence Project and the University of Idaho. One group is studying the impact of cigarette litter on water quality. They showed us these pictures of a site littered with ci******es near Super 1 and cigarette butts in a nearby storm drain. The students then cleaned up the litter and disposed of it properly (see the last pic!). They are researching ways to reduce cigarette litter and prevent pollution from entering our waterways.

We are so impressed with their work and dedication to protecting our watershed. Thank you for going above and beyond!

03/24/2022

An update on the Trestle Creek Marina from Idaho Conservation League North Idaho Director, Brad Smith. Read in today's issue of the Sandpoint Reader or by clicking the link below!

By Brad Smith Reader Contributor A bald eagle lights on its nest in a cottonwood tree above Trestle Creek and Lake Pend Oreille. A beaver methodically places another stick on its lodge down below....

03/15/2022

Tomorrow on March 16th, City of Sandpoint City Council will be discussing the proposed amendments to City Code regarding the shoreline setback along Sand Creek. This has been a major topic here at LPOW and we would like to encourage you to attend the meeting and speak up for Sand Creek. LPOW Executive Director, Steve Holt, submitted comments to the City on behalf of LPOW to address our concerns with this amendment. Read his letter on our website here: https://www.lakependoreillewaterkeeper.org/comments-to-the-city-of-sandpoint-re-title-9-zone-change/

The meeting starts at 5:30PM and the public hearing starts at 6:30PM. Learn more about the meeting and view the agenda here: https://www.sandpointidaho.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/6715/1259. We hope to see you there!

TO: Sandpoint City Council: Kate McAlister, Deb Ruehle, Joel Aispuro, Andy Groat, Jason Welker, Justin Dick City of Sandpoint Staff: Jennifer Stapleton, Amanda Wilson City of Sandpoint Mayor: Shelby Rognstad RE: Amendment to Sandpoint City Code – Title 9, Zoning, Chapters 1 and 2 As many of you kn...