Washington State Lake Protection Association - WALPA

Is that lake really an alpine lake?

Who is WALPA? Hint: We are not the Government. We are an educational non-profit that works in Idaho and Washington. Join us at WALPA.ORG

The Pend Oreille River Steamboat Era.

The Spokane River is Dry. Literally. Some summers, stretches of the Spokane River go dry at the surface — but the water is still there, moving underground. In the losing reach it sinks into the Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, then re-emerges downstream where the river gains it back. A quick look at how river and aquifer trade water.

Nanook being Nanook

Have you seen this crunchy flowering plant? Did you know it is actually a noxious w**d?

Policeman’s helmet (Impatiens glandulifera), AKA Himalayan balsam or jewelw**d, is native to the Himalayas. It's flowers can be white, pink, or purple, and can grow rapidly, crowding out native plants. Large infestations can contribute to erosion and disrupt natural water movement.

It’s also a particularly effective seed spreader. Its seed pods can burst open when touched, launching seeds up to 20 feet away. If you're pulling these w**ds, make sure to bag the seed pods first!

In Washington, policeman’s helmet is a Class B noxious w**d, meaning control is required in designated areas. It is also on Washington’s quarantine list, making it illegal to buy, sell, or offer it for sale.

Recently, we were pulling policeman’s helmet near Lake Sammamish. Removing invasive plants provides native vegetation and wildlife with the best chance to thrive, including species like the native (and non-ocean-migrating) Kokanee salmon found in Lake Sammamish!!

Healthy lakes depend on healthy shorelines and surrounding ecosystems. Protecting our lakes isn’t just about what happens in the water, it starts on the land around them as well.

If you fish Pend Oreille, you've lived through this story whether you know it or not. In the 1960s managers dropped a tiny shrimp into the lake to grow bigger kokanee. It backfired in a way nobody saw coming. The shrimp hide deep in daylight, exactly where the kokanee can't reach them but the lake trout can, so instead of feeding the salmon they fed the mackinaw. The lakers exploded, the kokanee crashed, and the fishery closed in 2000. Here's the part most people standing on this shore have never been told about why it happened, and why the same mistake wrecked Flathead even worse.

How we use sensor to figure out what is going on in our lakes

Proposed funding cuts to US clean water funding. Sources can be found on our YouTube page. WALPA_ORG.