Warming weather has everyone ready for summer splashing in the lakes and rivers a short drive from our homes. That family time is important and will leave you with great memories, but it's wise to remember that you can take precautions to protect your health in some areas.

"The Coeur d'Alene River basin is a fun place to play, but leave the soil there," says Andy Helkey, manager of the Institutional Controls Program (ICP) through Panhandle Health District (PHD). "It's an area of known environmental issues. The good news is that they're known and you can learn to take precautions."

Decades of mining and smelter activity contaminated the Coeur d'Alene River basin with lead and other metals. Mines discharged millions of tons of tailings - mining waste - into the south fork of the river until the 1960s. Much of the contaminated soil has been removed in the communities, but the removal process will go on for many years throughout the Coeur d'Alene basin.

Contamination settled on river banks and the river bottom from Mullan all the way into Lake Coeur d'Alene. While clean material has been added and used to cover some contaminated areas, high water flows and floods continue to stir up the soil and release contamination every year.

The ICP protects the public health throughout the area by managing any disturbance of potentially contaminated soil. It's harder to protect people who recreate throughout the area. For those people, PHD protects the public health with information.

The message is this: lead can sicken people when they swallow lead-contaminated dirt, dust or paint.

Children are particularly vulnerable. Lead swallowed by children can cause learning disabilities, hearing loss, loss of coordination and slower growth. It can cause problems in the kidneys, liver and reproductive organs. Elevated blood lead levels can lead to headaches, hyperactivity and aggression, damage to the nervous system, seizures and even death.

In adults, lead contamination can cause memory problems, irritability, muscle and joint pain, problems getting pregnant, high blood pressure and digestive problems.

Following precautions while playing in the Coeur d'Alene River basin is like wearing a seat belt when you're in a car. It's common sense; you know there are risks involved so you take simple precautions to protect yourself and your family.

If you play in the Coeur d'Alene River basin, you shouldn't drink from the river. Instead, bring your own water or wash, cook and clean with water from an approved source. Wash your hands after contact with the soil. As tempting as it is, children shouldn't play in and around the dirt. Small children, particularly, put everything in their mouths, starting with dirty hands.

Wash your hands and face before eating. Before leaving the river, wash off dirt from ground cloths, coolers, tents, chairs, toys, dog paws - anything that touched the dirt. Don't wear soiled camp clothes and shoes around the house. Instead, remove shoes before going indoors and place dirty clothes in a plastic bag to launder them separately from the rest of your wash.

If you're playing along the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, stick to the trail and the designated picnic areas. The stretch between Plummer and Harrison is thoroughly cleaned with no concern of recontamination, according to the Idaho Parks and Recreation Department. On the rest of the trail, children should not play on the river bank.

The Coeur d'Alene River basin offers beautiful recreational opportunities. Take these simple precautions and enjoy your time in the great outdoors.

For a map of the Coeur d'Alene River basin, visit: www.phd1.idaho.gov/institutional/about.cfm.

Cynthia Taggart is the public information officer for the Panhandle Health District. She can be reached at ctaggart@phd1.idaho.gov.