County aquifer board urges coordinated zoning, monitoring as development pressure builds

Larry Sims, chair of the Aquifer Protection District advisory board, told the Hayden City Council on March 25 that the district’s mission is to protect groundwater quality in the Rathdrum–Prairie aquifer and that local cooperation will be needed as development increases. “Our goal is to manage activities that have the potential to degrade the quality of the aquifer,” Sims said during a roughly 70-minute presentation to the council and members of the public.

The board, created by county action and supported by state designation, runs a critical materials monitoring program and relies on partners including Panhandle Health District and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Sims said the district currently collects about $5.74 per parcel in the aquifer area and has 11 advisory members working through committees on education, finance and technical work elements.

Why it matters: The Rathdrum–Prairie aquifer supplies drinking water across Kootenai County and into parts of Spokane-area communities. Sims warned that population growth and greater transportation of hazardous materials raise contamination risk and that the district lacks the legal tools and data it needs to stop…