Lake Coeur d'Alene

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lake Coeur d'Alene

Location	Northern Idaho
Lake type	glacial, reservoir
Primary inflows	Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe and St. Maries rivers
Primary outflows	Spokane River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	30 mi (48 km)
Max. width	3 mi (4.8 km)
Max. depth	183 ft (56 m)
Water volume	2.8 km³
Residence time (of lake water)	0.5 yrs
Surface elevation	2,125 ft (648 m)

The Lake Coeur d'Alene is 30 miles long, ranges from 1 to 3 miles wide and offers over 109 miles of shoreline for boaters and vacationers to explore and enjoy. The lake is fed by the Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe and St. Maries rivers which provide boaters the opportunity to explore and anglers the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the fish (from Chinook salmon to trout and Northern Pike). The outflow is via the Spokane River. The elevation of the lake is 2,125 feet (648 m) above sea level.

Although glacially formed, Lake Coeur d'Alene's depth has been enhanced by the construction of the dam on the Spokane River. The lake has been a primary method of transporting lumber in Kootenai County since the industry took root in the region. In fact, prior to a fire in 1917, Harrison was going to be county seat of Kootenai County, as the swiftly growing lumber town was at an opportune junction of the St. Joe and Coeur d' Alene Rivers. After the fire, the mills were largely moved to the city of Coeur d'Alene, which then grew to become the county seat.

There are a number of model T's sitting on the bottom of the lake, due to people in the early 1900s who would drive across the lake during the winter time in order to save half the distance in getting around the lake. When the ice broke, so did the chances for getting across. Also, there are some steamboats on the bottom that had been burned when they were no longer used to ferry people around on the lake. Divers frequently visit these ruins on the bottom.

Lake Coeur d'Alene is a popular tourist site for many people during the summer, offering great beaches and scenic views. A seasonal hobby of some local residents is viewing the bald eagles as they feed on the kokanee in the lake, mainly from the Wolf Lodge Bay. The Spokane River Centennial Trail, popular among cyclists, walkers, and joggers, follows along the lake's north and northeastern shore.

The EPA has made attempts to clean Lake Coeur d'Alene of heavy metal contaminates compiled through decades of mining upriver from the lake. Many local politicians and other influences have so far rejected such efforts, vowing to oversee the cleaning of the lake at a local level. So far no such efforts have been undertaken, and many experts have advised the public to avoid eating fish from the lake and to shower extensively after swimming in its waters.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe owns the southern third of Lake Coeur d'Alene. In Idaho v. United States^[1], the United States Supreme Court held an 1873 executive order issued by Ulysses S. Grant transferred ownership to the Tribe. While the court holding has not affected usage and access to Lake Coeur d'Alene, the Environmental Protection Agency has ruled that the Tribe may set its own water-quality standards on its portion of Lake Coeur d'Alene.^[2]