Lakes Commission funds economic study
ERIC WELCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months, 3 weeks AGO
Photo courtesy LAKES COMMISSION
SANDPOINT — In a Friday vote, board members of the Lake Pend Oreille, Pend Oreille River, Priest Lake and Priest River Commission committed to funding an economic impact study for Lake Pend Oreille.
The study, which is expected to be delivered this summer, will be conducted by researchers at the University of Idaho and Washington State University and will articulate the lake’s role in the local economy.
The Lakes Commission will provide $35,000 to fund one half of the project. The remaining $35,000 will be paid by the University of Idaho.
Lakes Commission Chair Ford Elsaesser told attendees he hoped the study would illustrate the lake’s benefits and the need for a reliable lake level throughout the recreation season.
“It's a continuous struggle to get a full season, and we believe that there are serious economic impacts that result from that,” Elsaesser said.
For their support of an economic study and efforts in bringing the opportunity to fruition, Elsaesser thanked District 1 Sen. Jim Woodward and Rep. Mark Sauter, who emphasized Lake Pend Oreille’s importance during the meeting.
“Our belief is that the lake level directly impacts our local economy,” Sauter said.
“To have a third party look at this is really exciting,” he added. “We're excited to get some real science and math.”
The meeting also featured an update on the ongoing repair and replacement projects at Albeni Falls Dam, which controls the level of Lake Pend Oreille.
Taylor Johnson, chief of natural resources with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the timeline for designing new spillway gates for the dam has been accelerated by two months; Johnson expects the design to be complete by July.
The need to replace the dam’s gates became apparent when a defect in the No. 3 gate was discovered during routine maintenance in April 2024. All 10 gates at the site have outlived their intended lifespan; USACE is aiming to replace them stepwise starting in 2027.
To keep community members informed as the project moves forward, Johnson said USACE intends to host a late-April public meeting in Sandpoint. Further details will be announced.
MORE FRONT-PAGE-SLIDER STORIES
Legislators seek help on lake level, dam repairs
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Army Corps began Lake Pend Oreille refill March 28
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 2 months, 1 week ago
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shares latest Albeni Falls Dam timeline
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 4 weeks, 1 day ago
ARTICLES BY ERIC WELCH
City personnel, community members discuss options as James E. Russell Center costs exceed revenue
Community planning and development director Jason Welker, who oversees Sandpoint’s parks and recreation programs and facilities, suggested that the city could either maintain its current approach at the facility, shrink the center’s operating hours, install new modular playing surfaces for mixed sports use on some of the courts, or recruit a nonprofit organization to operate the facility.
‘Expressions’ courses fill non-school art void
Teens participating in Gentry’s class practiced printmaking, painting and design to create works including a pop art-inspired self-portrait. “My goal when I'm teaching the kids is to just show them lots of different ways that you can make really cool art. It doesn't have to be just traditional,” she said. “The kind of art they do with me, they get to just express themselves, and it doesn't have to be perfection.”
City of Sandpoint sheds light on sewage incident outcome
On the morning of Feb. 24, an electrical control system failure caused pumps to shut off unexpectedly at Sandpoint’s municipal wastewater treatment plant — a city-owned facility that removes contaminants from sewage before discharging it into the Pend Oreille River.