Spokane Tribe Upper Columbia Basin Contaminant Study Update

Details

Published: Wednesday, 03 July 2024 17:08

Why are there green buoys all over Lake Roosevelt?

As part of EPA’s Columbia Basin Restoration Program, the Spokane Tribe is conducting a contaminant study throughout Lake Roosevelt extending from the Grand Coulee Dam to the Canadian Border, and upstream to Little Falls Dam in the Spokane River. The goals of the project are to 1) evaluate heavy metals concentrations in water, sediment, biofilm, and crayfish, 2) evaluate the movement of contaminants through the river, and 3) identify which contaminants are entering the food web via biofilm with potential to bioaccumulate to higher trophic level organisms.

The Tribe successfully piloted a sediment particle trap prototype in 2023 designed to capture suspended sediments. Fifteen devices are currently deployed throughout the river and are marked with green “RESEARCH” buoys.

Project researchers are scheduled to collect contaminant concentration data in July and August 2024. Laboratory results are expected later in 2024 and a final report will be issued in 2025.

The Tribe’s final report will help natural resource managers and the community understand more about how contaminants move through the river and enter the food web. The Spokane Tribe is also planning to expand on this work and continue contaminant monitoring for several years if sufficient additional funding is available.