Publication Summary

The Rathdrum-Spokane aquifer is located in Spokane County, Washington, and Bonner and Kootenai counties, Idaho. It is the sole source of drinking water for more than 500,000 residents, and that number is expected to rise significantly.

In the summer of 2001, Idaho received several requests for large, new water-rights from the Rathdrum-Spokane aquifer. The amount of water requested raised concern among community leaders and public interest groups in Spokane and Kootenai counties.

In 2002, a large number of water users in the Spokane-Coeur d′Alene area convened a series of meetings to discuss how to meet to the water needs of future urban growth in the Spokane River basin.

It became apparent that our region lacked the scientific data to sufficiently define and agree upon the sustainable capacity of the aquifer. Decision-makers were relying on a number of small-scale and sometimes conflicting studies. Managing the resource across state boundaries added to the complexity of the situation.