$275K project aims to protect Lake Cd’A
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 3 months AGO
The city of Coeur d'Alene and others broke ground Monday on a $275,000 project on the east side of Tubbs Hill designed to reduce contaminants in stormwater from reaching Lake Coeur d'Alene.
The parking lot on the eastside of Tubbs Hill will be closed for about a month during installation of a filtration system designed to reduce contaminants in stormwater from reaching Lake Coeur d'Alene.
A poster board near the east Tubbs Hill entrace outlines the Sanders Beach Area Stormwater Outfall Volume Reduction Project.
Officials and citizens take part in a groundbreaking for a stormwater outfall volume reduction project on the east side of Tubbs Hill on Monday. From left: Jake Garringer, North Idaho policy adviser, Gov. Brad Little’s Office; Craig Brosenne, CLAC member; Bob Steed, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality; Chris Fillios, CLAC chair; Diana Klybert, community member; Jack Riggs, CLAC vice chair; Coer d'Alene Councilman Woody McEvers; Todd Feusier, Streets and Engineering Department director; CDA Mayor Jim Hammond, also a CLAC member; Coeur d'Alene Councilman Dan Gookin; Chris Bosley, city en…
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | May 23, 2023 1:09 AM
COEUR d’ALENE — The city of Coeur d’Alene on Monday broke ground on a project designed to protect Lake Coeur d’Alene.
The Sanders Beach Area Stormwater Outfall Volume Reduction Project is designed to reduce contaminants in stormwater from reaching the lake.
“The idea is to prevent phosphorous from entering the lake because that’s one of the huge pollutants that people are most concerned about,” said Chris Bosley, city engineer.
About 25 people met near the east entrance to Tubbs Hill for a brief ceremony.
The parking lot will be closed for the duration of the $275,000 project, which is expected to take about a month. It is being funded through a grant from Gov. Brad Little’s “Leading Idaho” initiative.
Stewart Contracting will install an infiltration/filter system that will divert stormwater from the existing outfalls in the combined 76-acre urban drainage area.
Bosley said there are 21 of the filtration units being installed, which are modified dry wells using a sand/compost filter medium, and five sediment and oil traps that will pretreat the stormwater to reduce maintenance.
They are mostly located on 11th, 12th, Lakeshore Drive, and Mullan Avenue and will reduce contaminants like lead, petroleum products from cars, E. coli from dog waste and phosphorus from entering Lake Coeur d’Alene.
“We’re using the natural environment, the sand, the gravel and the vegetation,” said Justin Shaw, project engineer with HMH Engineering. “We’re basically using the environment as best we can to reduce the nutrients from reaching the lake.”
The city has stormwater outfalls at the 11th Street marina and at Sanders Beach that flow unfiltered into the lake. They will remain in place in case of a major storm event.
The city is planning similar projects at Independence Point and East Sherman Avenue.
Little’s “Leading Idaho” plan included $80 million to improve water quality throughout the state, including Lake Coeur d’Alene.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality prioritized nutrient reduction projects identified by the Coeur d’Alene Lake Advisory Committee in overseeing the funds.
The project is a partnership between the city, Idaho DEQ and the state of Idaho of Coeur d’Alene Basin Phosphorous Reduction Grant.
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