Waterkeeper News
Lake Pend Oreille | Pend Oreille River
Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Keep up with the latest news & updates! Looking for our Semi-Annual Reports?
Crude oil train derailment and fire in northwest Washington state
On December 22, 2020, seven train cars on a 108-car BNSF train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed in Custer, Washington, north of Seattle. Five of the cars caught fire and sent off a large plume of black smoke, prompted temporary evacuation orders...
New watershed management code approved for Little Sand Creek Watershed
This month, the Sandpoint City Council approved a new city code, Title 7, Chapter 16, Watershed Protection. The purpose of this chapter is to promote the health, welfare and safety of Little Sand Creek. Little Sand Creek, which sits beneath...
Legal fight for the proposed Rock Creek Mine advances
Proposed Rock Creek Mine Developments The Rock Creek Mine Project is a proposed underground copper and silver mine located in Sanders County of northwestern Montana. The proposed mine will be situated on 481 acres adjacent to the Cabinet Mountains...
Spring 2020 Semi-Annual Report
We are excited to release our Spring 2020 Semi-Annual Report! This report includes details about current issues, our programs and events, a kids' corner, a note from our Board of Directors Vice President, and more! View our Spring 2020 Semi-Annual...
Keeping the railroads responsible
In late April, Phil Longden, a resident of the Hope area, emailed Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper regarding an issue along the lakeshore. He mentioned that Montana Rail Link (MRL) had staged some railroad ties along the track for a future repair and...
How to love your lake during COVID-19: Suggestions from the LPOW Team
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus and the threat of COVID-19 has induced widespread concern across the globe. Even our small community in north Idaho is affected and we are all learning how to deal with this new and altered reality. During this...
The City of Sandpoint’s beaches will remain herbicide-free until 2023
Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper (LPOW) would like to thank the City of Sandpoint for continuing its effort to keep our swimming areas free of aquatic herbicides. This project was started as a partnership by LPOW and the City of Sandpoint 7 years ago...
Canadian crude oil train derails and catches fire
Early morning on February 6th, 2020, a Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed in Canada -- leaking of crude oil and catching fire. The crash, less than 2 miles from the town of Guernsey, Saskatchewan, resulted in a complete evacuation of their...
EPA rolls back critical protections for streams & wetlands
As a member of the international WATERKEEPER® Alliance, Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper’s mission is to advocate for clean water within the Clark Fork & Pend Oreille watershed of north Idaho. We are deeply concerned and upset at the recent...