Basin board seeking support

SANDPOINT — Idaho’s Pend Oreille Basin Commission is hoping to rally the support of elected officials in its effort to convince the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take a more cautious approach to fluctuating the level of Lake Pend Oreille.

The corps is weighing a Bonneville Power Administration request to fluctuate the lake level within a 5-foot range this winter to meet regional power needs and downstream water management objectives.

The plan involves allowing the lake to fill during rain events and drafting it during stretches of cold weather.

But the proposal has ignited concern that fluctuating winter lake levels could hasten shoreline erosion, degrade water quality and habitat, and damage shoreline infrastructure.

The Pend Oreille Basin Commission is strongly opposed to the BPA request without testing and assurances that it won’t spell trouble on Lake Pend Oreille. The commission is conducting a conference call on Wednesday to galvanize federal, state and local political support for its position.

“We’ve been spending most of our time writing to congressional delegates and local elected officials, trying to encourage them to take a stand and have a unified position,” said the commission’s Kate Wilson.

The Idaho Department of Fish & Game has taken a neutral position on the request and would help BPA monitor the effect of the fluctuations if the corps grants the request.

The proposal encountered stiff opposition when the corps held a public meeting in Sandpoint earlier this month to discuss the BPA request.

“They’re saying the operation can start as early as Jan. 1 so that’s quite concerning,” Wilson said.