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Little Spokane river Water Quality Management Plan
Project Overview
The Conservation District, in cooperation with the residents along the Little Spokane River, is facilitating a planning process to address water quality concerns and the health of the Little Spokane River ecosystem. The purpose of this process is to develop a management plan that addresses the water quality and quantity concerns on the river, while balancing the needs of the river with the needs of local landowners.
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| The Little Spokane River is located in northeastern Washington and northwestern Idaho. (Map) The basin has a drainage area of approximately 701 square miles with 679 square miles in Washington (USGS, 1964). The watershed covers most of northern Spokane County, the southern portion of Pend Oreille County, and portions of Stevens County in Washington, and Bonner County in Idaho. |
The Need for A Management Plan
The federal Clean Water Act requires states to identify water bodies that do not meet standards for water quality and suitability for uses such as fish and wildlife habitat, agricultural water supplies, and recreation. The Little Spokane River has been identified by the Washington State Department of Ecology as a water quality impaired river. Ecology has identified the main concerns as fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and amonia.
The management plan will identify the source of these and other problems on the river and recommend actions to reduce or mitigate the impacts of the problems and protect and restore valuable aspects of the river ecosystem.
Mitigate Impacts Population growth and resulting changes in land use are the major sources of water resource impacts in the watershed. Although the northern portion of the watershed is primarily rural, populations have increased nearly 72 percent since 1980 (U.S. Census, 2000). The southern part of the watershed, which is more urban, has increased approximately 18 percent over the last 20 years. These population trends are expected to continue in Spokane county and other portions of the watershed. The results are increasing impacts on the watershed and higher demands on the ground water and surface water systems.
Particular issues of concern include:
- storm-water runoff,
- sedimentation in the river,
- loss of riparian vegetation and wetlands,
- stream bank erosion,
- conflicts of water rights,
- lack of instream flows for fish and wildlife,
- loss of fish spawning habitat, and
- several other impacts of urban development, and agricultural and forestry management practices.
The management plan will identify these and other issues and provide recommendations on how to mitigate their impacts on the river system.
Protect Valuable Areas Not all of the Little Spokane River watershed is experiencing problems. There are still some undisturbed areas that are functioning well. But these areas are becoming increasingly rare due to development and land use changes. The mitigation plan will identify areas of particular value and provide recommendations to protect them, as well as recommendations to restore areas that have already been degraded.
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| Streamside vegetation plays a critical role in protecting streambanks and providing vital habitat for aquatic and semi-aquatic animals. Trees and woody vegetation stabilize the banks with their roots and by drawing up water from the soil. In addition, the plants provide habitat and places to hid for fish and other animals. Trees also shade streams, keeping water temperatures cool for fish. |
Large woody debris within the river is ecologically important. The trees trap sediment that would otherwise be washed downstream and dissipate stream energy that causes further erosion to the bed and banks of the stream. Logs also create pools and cover for critical fish habitat. |
Project Goals
The intent of the water quality management planning process is to further identify areas of concern and provide specific goals for water quality and habitat protection. The management plan will also provide recommendations for Best Management Practices (BMPs) to address the issues, while meeting the needs of local landowners.
Planning Committee
A Watershed Management Committee, comprised of local residents, business people and relevant agencies, has been formed to identify specific issues and suggest appropriate solutions. The participation and guidance of these local people is critical, as they have intimate knowledge of the watershed and can suggest appropriate solutions. Community agreement to implementation is also crucial to the success of this plan because any efforts to improve the quality of the environment will affect members of the watershed community.
General Timeline and Project Status
In the first phase of the planning process, Washington State University (WSU) at Pullman was contracted by the Department of Ecology to conduct water quality sampling throughout the watershed. This work has been completed and WSU is now working with Ecology to prepare a pollutant load analysis that will identify how much of each type of pollutant is contributed by the sub-watersheds. The planning process will then proceed to the identification and prioritization of implementation activities to address the sources of pollution throughout the watershed. The SCCD anticipates submitting the final plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval in October 2007.
LSR clean-up plan (TMDL) schedule:
- March 6th –Presentation of the WSU load analysis. This presentation will show which sub-watersheds are most severely impacted. The information will be used to prioritize pollution reduction activities.
- April 3rd or May 1st –Review draft TMDL documents prior to public comment period.
- June or July –Present TMDL to the public and begin public comment period.
- August through September –Review and incorporate, as appropriate, public comments.
- October – Submit TMDL to EPA for approval.
The Little Spokane River water quality meetings are held the 1st Tuesday of each month at the Riverside Fire Station #46, 3818 E. Deer Park Milan in Chattaroy from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Please Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about the watershed planning process in the Little Spokane River watershed, please contact Walt Edelen, Water Resources Program Manager for the Spokane County Conservation District, at (509) 535-7274.
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