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The Hangman Creek (also known as Latah Creek) watershed drains approximately 431,000 acres and spans across two states and four counties. More than 60 percent of the watershed resides in eastern Washington State (WRIA 56) while the remaining portion, including the headwaters, originates in the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Sanders, Idaho. The major tributaries to Hangman Creek are Marshall Creek; California Creek; Spangle Creek; Rock Creek; Rattler Run Creek; and the Little Hangman Creek.
Land use influences, (agriculture, impervious surfaces, timber harvest, roads, etc.) as well as stream channel and flood plain alterations over the last 100-years have contributed to “flashy” flow conditions, unstable stream banks, and substandard water quality.
To address the water quality problems in the Washington portion of the watershed, Ecology and the Spokane County Conservation District are working together on a project called a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). A TMDL can be thought of as a water quality improvement plan. It is a common-sense, science-based approach to cleaning up polluted water so that it meets water quality standards. TMDLs established today also can help manage water quality on a watershed scale to prevent the loss of beneficial uses in the future. Beneficial uses can include irrigation, fishing, habitat, recreation (swimming, wading, and boating) and other uses.
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