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?
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...
Derailed BNSF train leaking fuel into Kootenai River
Emergency crews have rescued two train operators trapped in a BNSF engine that derailed into the Kootenai River 10 miles east of Bonners Ferry on Wednesday. None of the operators were injured during the derailment reported at about 9 p.m. Tuesday,...
Train cars derail into Potomac River near Harper’s Ferry
A freight train crossing the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry derailed early Saturday morning, causing two cars to tip over a footbridge and plummet into the water. "The empty grain cars derailed into the water and on the West Virginia shoreline,...
Lake Pend Oreille patrol fOILed – and lessons learned!
In early July, our team was getting ready to patrol Lake Pend Oreille from our pontoon boat. As I started the motor, I knew right away something was wrong. Thick, blue smoke was pouring out from behind me. After turning off the engine, I looked...
LPOW hosts well renowned environmental advocate
We all depend upon clean water, clean air, and a healthy environment to support and sustain our lives. Doesn’t it seem appropriate that they should be protected with the same legal strength that we protect the other rights we hold dear? Most state...
Volunteers Kick Off 8th Water Quality Monitoring Season
A team of dedicated water stewards wrapped up training sessions in April and May, and will now be kicking off their 8th season monitoring water quality on Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River. In the past few weeks, citizen science...
Zebra’s in Idaho?
For many Sandpoint is synonymous with breathtaking beauty made up of pine covered mountain peaks and beautiful blue waters. For many Bonner County natives, the unparalleled beauty is burned into our souls and calls us back home no matter how far...