I had to smile when reading David Larson’s “My Turn” column in the July 6th edition of the CDA Press.

He was so eager to correct comments made by Jim Aucutt, chairman of the Waterways Advisory Board, regarding who “owns” the waters of North Idaho. For the record, Jim Aucutt was correct when he said it belonged to Idaho boaters.  And it also belongs to Idaho fishermen, Idaho kayakers, Idaho sailors, Idaho hunters, Idaho hikers, bikers and potato growers. Idaho’s lakes and rivers belong to the people who live in Idaho.

 Mr. Aucutt also stated that Cougar Bay “has been blocked off because of the commercial industry” (logging companies). Larson was quick to point out that “Cougar Bay has never been restricted to boating, other than NO-WAKE designations.”  In my opinion, the 600-plus log pilings located throughout Cougar Bay have presented significantly more boating “restrictions” than a few NO-WAKE signs.

 Unfortunately those 600-plus log pilings have outlived their intended use. They are all old, many are rotten and others are falling apart. In short, they are becoming a dangerous eyesore. While the Hagadone Group is spending millions of dollars to enhance and refurbish Blackwell Island, which will ultimately help create a beautiful gateway into CDA from the SW entrance (via Highway 95 North), others are fighting to keep those broken down pilings in pace to simply limit the number of recreational users in Cougar Bay. 

 I love watching osprey dive into the water with expectation of catching their next meal. They truly are amazing. However don’t let anyone tell you the osprey require those 600 pilings in Cougar Bay to ensure their survival.  There are many more osprey nests along the wooded shores of the Spokane River and Lake CDA than in Cougar Bay. That said, I still believe we should leave any pilings that already have existing osprey nests in Cougar Bay, just like they did on the Spokane River when over 1,000 old pilings were removed a few years ago.

 I need to also comment on another recent proposal in which Cougar Bay residents requested that only three mooring buoys be placed in Cougar Bay. Obviously their intention is to limit the number of watercraft from using Cougar Bay’s recreational waters. The problem is, if boaters don’t have a buoy to secure their watercraft to, they will simply drop anchor somewhere else in the bay. Dragging anchors across a shallow bay will certainly inflict more damage to the lake’s bottom than the additional mooring buoys.    

 As previously mentioned, Idaho’s waters belong to ALL Idaho residents. Therefore, the general public should not sit back and allow a handful of Cougar Bay waterfront residents dictate the future use and regulation of that portion of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Instead, let’s open it up and clean it up for everyone to enjoy.   

STEVE SHAMION

Post Falls