Land Use: Plans and Programs

1,041 acres of land within our Spokane River Project boundary.

• 794 acres associated with our Long Lake Hydroelectric Development
• 6 acres with the Nine Mile Hydroelectric Development
• 2.5 acres with the Monroe Street and Upper Falls developments
• 161 acres with the Post Falls Hydroelectric Development

• Provide a balanced approach to natural resource management, including control of terrestrial noxious weeds.
• Provide appropriate protection and management of cultural resources.
• Engage stakeholders in the development and implementation of land management plans to minimize management conflicts.
• Protect and enhance public use of project lands and waters while maintaining consistency with cultural and natural resource protection needs.
• Comply with environmental regulations, including federal, state and local land use policies and requirements.

Get details about the regulators, agency partners, and stakeholders that Avista works with on land use issues.

Avista Erosion Control Programs help protect and improve water quality, aquatic and riparian habitat over time. Here's how:

• Inventory and Assessment
  We complete an erosion analysis of the Post Falls Hydroelectric Development’s shorelines.
• Design and Implement Erosion Control Measures
  Create erosion control designs for designated sites, work with agencies and stakeholders during the design and permitting processes, and install the measures once all permits have been obtained.
• Education and Awareness
• Increase public awareness of how shoreline homeowners and recreationists can help reduce shoreline erosion.

Avista works with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify and prioritize sites in need of shoreline erosion control.

Some of our most current work includes the following:

Location:
Water Quality Improvement and Erosion Control Plan, for shorelines outside the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation.

What we did:
We stabilized over one mile of eroding shoreline along the Shadowy St. Joe River. The rock toe protection, coupled with the planting is intended to stop toe erosion and allow the re-establishment of the riparian area. This project is located adjacent to and immediately downstream of the Shadowy St. Joe Forest Service Campground and complements a wetland restoration project on the same property.

Avista developed a Sediment Management Plan for Nine Mile Reservoir and Lake Spokane.

The plan addresses:

• Sediment resulting from shoreline erosion that primarily occurs in Hangman Creek, a tributary to the Spokane River, located upstream of the Nine Mile Reservoir
• Erosion along Hangman Creek, where agricultural, road and railroad construction, logging, residential development, have made an impact
• Sediment transport and impacts to the river, sediment characterization, monitoring
• Deposition and transport rates and patterns within the reservoirs
• Final disposition of the sediments
• Enhancements to fish and wildlife habitat relative to the sediment

Avista won't dredge or remove sediments from the two reservoirs, unless it interferes with its Project operations or access needs.

As part of the Spokane River Project License, we're implementing erosion control programs in consultation with various regulators, agency partners, and stakeholders. View documents.

Here's a list of our agency partners: