RIVER JOURNAL
News & updates from the Spokane Riverkeeper
Sometimes even new infrastructure doesn’t work as planned, and that’s what happened recently with a stormwater treatment facility in Spokane. Built to keep untreated runoff out of the Spokane River, the system hit a snag during a big storm, causing some overflow and pollution concerns.
For the first time, data submitted by Spokane Riverkeeper played a crucial role in Ecology’s assessment, setting a powerful example of how community efforts can drive meaningful environmental action.
Yesterday, October 29, the U.S. EPA issued a Final PCB TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) for the Spokane River and Little Spokane River. This TMDL is a result of years of advocacy, scientific research, and legal action aimed at reducing harmful PCB pollution affecting our river and community health. However, we are disappointed in the final plan, and do not believe it will sufficiently reduce PCB levels in the river.
Dirty water is gross! And it’s also pollution. The sediment laden water from Hangman Creek pollutes the Spokane River, contributing to issues downstream such as the low dissolved oxygen in Lake Spokane. Levels of pollution that we see in Hangman Creek and the Spokane River can also cause issues with salmonid growth and reproduction. This is important because we still have wild, native redband trout in our river and an effort by the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane Tribes to return salmon to our watershed. Check out the photo gallery below! If you’d like to participate starting this December, make sure to sign up for our Community Science email list, or our general email list!
This November, your vote can make a real difference for the Spokane River and our community. Climate change poses an urgent challenge, affecting water quality, river health, and the ecosystems that depend on clean, flowing water. This election season, several ballot initiatives will challenge existing efforts to address these critical issues. Learn more about the pertinent initiatives and why we are opposing them in this article from Water Protector Katelyn Scott.
Urban rivers, like the Spokane River, face many challenges from various pollutants, one of which is a relatively new and concerning chemical: 6PPD-quinone. Learn more about the impacts of 6PPD-quinone, the Spokane River's vulnerability, and how new regulations protect our state's waterways.
Water conservation is more important than ever to protect the health of the Spokane River and ensure it remains a vibrant hub for recreation. On July 24, 2024, City Council declared a drought emergency, causing the Level 2 restrictions to come into action. We share more about the River-Aquifer connection and why water conservation is so important for a healthy river.
How does water temperature respond to the low flows and hot days? Read on to find out.
Spokane Riverkeeper, alongside several other environmental stakeholders, have been working hard to clean up the PCB contamination in the Spokane River and Little Spokane River. We submitted a comment letter to the EPA asking them to address significant concerns we have with the draft plan, particularly to ensure that the plan adequately addresses the human health concerns with PCBs.
We joined up Expo 50 Tribal Pillar leaders, Jeff Ferguson and Margo Hill Ferguson and other environmental and community leaders for the Indigenous and Environmental Film Festival at the Garland Theater. Find the films at more about the host organization.
2024 was the ninth canoe journey to Kettle Falls to call home the salmon. This year, Legal Intern, Maddy Chabot paddled with the canoes for 8 days. Read more about the journey and the impact it has.
On June 28, 2024, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce overturning the long-standing Chevron doctrine and changing the landscape of federal regulatory enforcement.
On April 16, 2024, Washington Department of Ecology declared a statewide drought emergency. In Spokane, where the flowing river defines the City landscape, the impact of drought can be particularly significant. But what exactly does a drought declaration from the Washington Department of Ecology mean, and how does it affect our River?
Wow!!! Thank you all for showing up to our 2024 Earth Day River Cleanup on Saturday. It was a record breaking event for us, with almost 400 volunteers and 8,620 pounds of trash collected!
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken significant steps to address the issue of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution. This month, the EPA announced two major rule changes aimed at increasing accountability for PFAS contamination. These changes represent a crucial milestone in safeguarding our drinking water and environment from the harmful effects of PFAS chemicals, but there is still significant action needed to protect our waterways and environment from these harmful chemicals.
Thank you to Riverkeeper volunteer James Pelland for his tireless work on our real time temperature logger program. For summary of what went wrong, and right, check out his slides below. This project provides instantaneous water temperature data to anglers, floater, policy makers, and the general public, as well as providing valuable information regarding the effects of climate change on our local waters.
In a recent decision, the Pollution Control Hearings Board made several key findings regarding regulation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in the Spokane River. This ruling comes after five of the major dischargers (City of Spokane, Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District, Kaiser Aluminum, Inland Empire Paper Company, and Spokane County) challenged the effluent limits included in their NPDES permits issued in 2022.
Our Community Science Project continues to produce high quality data with a strong group of volunteers. Although we haven't seen the sediment pollution in the Spokane River this year, that's because of our warm winter, not our lack of science. In fact we've had stronger participation in the study than any year in the past, with data collected almost every day! You've taken about 240 samples, which is 60 out of the 68 days our study has been running. Check out the data below.
The recent oil spill in the Spokane River, attributed to the Inland Empire Paper Co., has sparked great concern with the Spokane Riverkeeper. This incident, which occurred on Dec. 26, has not only raised questions about the effectiveness of spill response measures but also highlights the need for transparency and accountability in environmental protection efforts. (Inland Empire Paper is owned by the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.)
Environmental legislation at its heart leans on the idea that polluters should be held accountable for any pollution they release into the environment. The Clean Water Act and similar state statutes are no different, utilizing civil penalties (fines) to punish bad actors and discourage improper discharging to the state’s waters. Read more about Spokane Riverkeeper’s role in holding polluters and regulators accountable.
