BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The state has a tentative plan to help protect northern Idaho’s Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, while still relying on this critical water supply that stretches from Lake Pend Oreille across the border to Washington state to benefit the region’s economy.
The Idaho Water Resource Board recently adopted the Rathdrum Prairie Comprehensive Aquifer Management Plan.
After it goes to the Idaho Legislature next year, the aim is for the 42-page document to be used to guide management of the aquifer over the next half-century.
Not everyone has been pleased with the plan.
For instance, the Kootenai Environmental Alliance said the draft version was “not specific enough, not enforceable enough, and doesn’t go far enough to properly protect the aquifer resources.”
The board, meanwhile, pledged to follow guidance from a local advisory committee.
