COEUR d'ALENE - What is being done to address mining waste in Lake Coeur d'Alene?

Something.

That's the best answer many in Kootenai County can give, according to a study of local water quality knowledge, conducted by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.

Phone and Internet surveys of 500 people last summer revealed that many local residents are clueless about Tribe and state efforts to improve water quality in the Coeur d'Alene Lake Basin.

"Some knew that we had jurisdiction, and they knew we were doing something, they just didn't know what," said Tribe Restoration Coordinator Rebecca Stevens, adding that the study results were available early this year. "There were a number of respondents who had not heard of the Lake Management Plan."

That's OK, said Stevens, who spoke about the study at a Kootenai Environmental Alliance luncheon on Thursday.

Measuring locals' knowledge was just the first step to launching an ongoing public education program, she said, a long-planned stage of the Lake Management Plan.

"We were looking to see if people even knew what was going on, and we found out there is a data gap," Stevens said. "If you look at all the answers we got from the questions, it does appear overall that the public does want to do what they can do to protect water quality. They want to get engaged."

They will get a chance.

The state and tribe are using the study results to develop an campaign, Stevens said, comprised of lectures, tours and one-on-one consultations about property management.

"That's the whole point, she said.

Focus will be on the Lake Management Plan, implemented last year, which aims to reduce nutrients from entering the lake and keep mining pollution trapped on the bed.

Education efforts will kick off with a workshop, "What Is Your Water IQ?" from 5:30 to 7:30 on May 4 at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library.

The state and Tribe also plan on initiating a "Lake A Syst" program, where they would consult with lakeside property owners about their activities by the water.

Folks might need to address fertilizer use, septic and drainage issues, for instance, she said.

Stevens acknowledged at the luncheon that such programs have had varied success on other lakes.

"It's been a mixed bag," she said. "We'll be cautious before pouring a lot of resources into it. But you never know until you try."

The Tribe and state will also conduct workshops and tours of the lake this summer, she said.

They hope to develop education programs at schools, churches and youth campuses on the lake, too.

"We're working with Camp Cross, we'll maybe get kids out on canoes and take water quality samples," Stevens said. "Because that's where it starts."

Information will also be distributed through brochures, radio interviews and informational appearances at the North Idaho Fair and water related events.

The Tribe and DEQ are jointly funding the efforts, Stevens added.

"This is our challenge," she said, alluding to the uncertainty of state funds. "Our funds are not going to be there from a year-to-year basis."

Individuals can get a head start with protecting water quality, Stevens added, by not touching native shoreline vegetation, maintaining shoreline buffer zones and applying fertilizers and pesticides responsibly.

All Coeur d'Alene River Basin residents will be targeted in the education campaign, she added, which will run as long as lake management efforts continue.

"That includes those adjacent to water bodies and community folks way up stream," Stevens said, adding that everyone affects water quality in some way. "It is everybody."

Hayden resident Richard Kohles pointed out that folks usually need to grasp the importance of water quality before they show interest.

"If people start drinking water, then they want to do something," he said.

Preserving water quality is crucial for Lake Coeur d'Alene, said Lake City resident Wes Hanson, because of the tourism driven economy.

"This place is based on water," he said.

Janet Torline, who lives on the east side of Lake Coeur d'Alene, said she was surprised by how naive some locals are about lake management.

"There's always been the Superfund stigma and concern it would impact the economy if people understood what shape the lake is really in," Torline said. "I don't think that's true. I think people are smarter. They love this lake, whether they live here or visit, and they want to get the facts and do what is right."