Bay Watchers Program
Bay Watchers provides educational resources, workshops and networking for lake and bay residents. The program is run through a partnership with University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and lake and bay communities.
Goals of the program
- Provide community education on the Coeur d’Alene Lake watershed through workshops.
- Empower citizen scientist volunteers to monitor long-term water quality trends and augment data collected by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Idaho DEQ.
- Help provide knowledge and resources for neighbors to answer lake-related questions.
What does it mean to be a Bay Watcher?
- Act as an ambassador to neighbors to help answer lake-related questions.
- Attend annual meetings and educational workshops as they interest you. Topics include aquatic plant management, dock permitting, algae blooms, shoreline development and more.
- Monitor water quality on your bay through training and equipment provided by Bay Watchers
Bay Watchers Monitoring Sites
Lake Ambassadors currently monitor the lake at Arrow Point, Beauty Bay, Blue Creek Bay, Cave Bay, Everwell Bay, Leaning Pine Point, Moscow Bay and Steamboat Point. More site monitoring is needed, especially on the southern half of the lake.
Become a Bay Watcher
Lake and bay residents are needed to help shape and implement the Bay Watcher educational network. Introductory training covers aquatic invasive species, the Coeur d’Alene Lake Management Plan, lake encroachments and guest speakers on Kootenai County site disturbance permitting. A resource manual will be provided.
Additional resources for lake and bay area owners
- Our Gem Lake-A-Syst Manual (PDF)
- Kootenai County Land Use and Development Code (PDF)
- Invasive Species of Idaho
- Idaho Department of Lands Encroachments Process
Questions? Contact Marie Schmidt at 208-292-2540 or mschmidt@uidaho.edu.