Adrienne Cronebaugh of Kootenai Environmental Alliance has organized a Waterkeeper program for Lake Coeur d’Alene. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)

A new Lake Coeur d’Alene Waterkeeper program aims to get residents involved in helping protect one of North Idaho’s most valuable assets: water quality in the 50-square-mile lake. “We want people to take ownership of their lake and be aware of how their actions can affect water quality,” said Adrienne Cronebaugh, executive director of Kootenai Environmental Alliance, which recently launched the lake program. The Waterkeeper Alliance is a coalition of 200 nonprofit groups worldwide that relies on local residents to watchdog the health of waterways near them. Local Waterkeeper programs also exist for the Spokane River, Lake Pend Oreille and the Silver Valley. Here’s an edited version of a recent interview with Cronebaugh/Becky Kramer, SR. More here.

Question: What do you think of this program?