Kootenai Environmental Alliance announced last week that it joined the National Waterkeeper Alliance as the Lake Coeur d'Alene Waterkeeper.

The Waterkeeper Alliance was formed in the late 1990s by environmental attorney and activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement of on-the-water advocates who patrol and protect more than hundreds of miles of rivers, lakes and coastlines in North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa.

KEA will be continuing its work of protecting the right to clean water as Lake Coeur d'Alene Waterkeeper. The clear rivers, beautiful lakes and pure drinking water are reasons many chose to make North Idaho home.

Since the organization was founded in 1972, KEA has been an advocate for water-quality protection and water conservation across the Inland Northwest and looks forward to continuing with that tradition.

In the 1970s, KEA led a coalition of organizations to successfully advocate for a protective designation of the Rathdrum Prairie-Spokane Valley Aquifer as a sole source for drinking water and successfully litigated to establish Idaho's Public Trust Doctrine and recognize the public ownership of waterways.

In the 1980s, KEA prevented toxic aluminum residues from being dumped in the local landfill and used as road fill, secured an equitable lease fee for the private use of Lake Coeur d'Alene's surface, and obtained an agreement for public access to the lake.

In the 1990s, KEA succeeded in reducing national forest timber sales, stopped environmentally destructive interstate highway construction, helped prevent the storage of diesel fuel and chemicals above the aquifer, and fought for better public access to Lake Coeur d'Alene.

From 2000 to the present, KEA has opposed poorly conceived timber sales, protested excessive requests for water rights and negotiated settlements with applicants to significantly reduce their water requests and caps on yearly water consumption, conducted land use planning workshops and fostered the development of local community planning groups.

KEA has advocated for Clean Water Act TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Loads) cleanup plans, and has served as conservation representative to advisory groups, for waterways throughout the region, including the Spokane River, tributaries to Lake Coeur d'Alene, and the Coeur d'Alene River. On multiple occasions, KEA has successfully litigated against polluters in violation of their Clean Water Act permits.

As Lake Coeur d'Alene Waterkeeper, KEA will advocate for responsible development around the watershed, the protection of fish and wildlife habitat and respond to and investigate citizen concerns pertaining to water quality in Lake Coeur d'Alene and the surrounding waters.