SPOKANE, Wash. — A local group fighting to keep the Spokane River healthy said the beautiful spring season comes with some ugly consequences.
Jerry White with Spokane Riverkeeper said the group sees a terrible sediment and pollution problem at Latah Creek -- also known as Hangman Creek -- between July and October of each year. Snow and rainfall wash sediment into the creek, which then pushes all that pollution into the Spokane River.
White said the pollution often causes algae blooms, which deprive the river of oxygen.
"When it is so filthy, our native redband trout no longer find it suitable to live right around the mouth of the creek and they can't spawn there," he said. "It's a huge issue in our region in terms of thinking about salmon recovery. Those salmon are going to have to come home to a clean water body one day."
Thanks to litigation brought on by Spokane Riverkeeper, they were able to come to a settlement with the Washington State Department of Ecology to create a 10-year plan to clean up Latah Creek.
The plan involves taking care of the shoreline, which acts as a natural filter to sediment and also involves monitoring clean-up efforts.
White said some solutions to this problem are agricultural and involve tillage conservation so soil is kept where it should be. He added that shoreline conservation and supporting groups who work to do it is important.
There are plenty of ways to get involved for those who would like to help.
On April 13, those interested can volunteer to help plant trees on a section near the creek.
Those who would like to learn more about Latah Creek can head to the Spokane Riverkeeper website.
