In brief: Dye will help track Little Spokane flow

Scientists from the Washington Department of Ecology will use a red fluorescent dye to track how fast water travels through the Little Spokane River as part of a study of dissolved oxygen and pH in the river.

People might see a reddish tint in the water between Monday and Aug. 16.

Low concentrations of the dye used in the study won’t impact human health or aquatic life, said Scott Tarbutton, an environmental scientist for the Ecology Department.

Researchers will track the dye plume and use the information in computer models to help understand water quality problems in the Little Spokane watershed.

Parts of the river and several of its tributaries don’t meet standards for dissolved oxygen and pH, endangering fish and other aquatic life. Nutrients and sunlight contribute to conditions creating excessive weeds and algae growth that hamper water quality. Low flows exacerbate the problems.

Rare Hit 5 ticket proves lucky

A Spokane mom about to give birth to her third daughter won $170,000 this week in a Washington Lottery game. She’d only played the Hit 5 game four times.

The woman, who was not named, told lottery officials that with two girls ages 2 and 4, playing lottery games is what she and her husband do for fun.

The couple plan to pay off their debt and put a down payment on a new home. The timing is good because she was going on maternity leave, she told officials.

The woman bought the ticket on July 29 at Adi’s Food Mart on South Hayford Road in Spokane.