In brief: Avista to lower Long Lake Reservoir’s water levels
Avista Utilities will begin lowering the water levels in the Long Lake Reservoir on Monday. The reservoir, also known as Lake Spokane, will drop by up to a foot per day for several weeks until the pool is about 14 feet below the normal summer elevation of 1,536 feet.
The drawdown will help control Eurasian milfoil and other invasive aquatic weeds in the lake. Lower water levels also allow homeowners to complete approved shoreline projects.
Property owners and lake users should prepare for lower water levels, including removing boats from the water and removing or securing docks and boathouses to accommodate shifting ice and low-water conditions.
The winter reservoir levels will be maintained as long as river flows allow. Water levels are subject to change due to a variety of factors.
For more information on water levels in Lake Spokane, the Spokane River and Lake Coeur d’Alene, call Avista’s 24-hour line: In Washington the number is (509) 495-8043, and in Idaho call (208) 769-1357.
Sewage leak didn’t contaminate water
A December spill involving about 7,000 gallons of sewage near the community of Hope, Idaho, didn’t contaminate any surface water, said operators of the Ellisport Bay Sewer District.
The spill was discovered Dec. 22, when a district employee noticed that the meter reading for sewage inflow was about 7,000 gallons lower than normal for a 24-hour period.
A break in the sewer main at one of the district’s three lift stations was the cause of the spill, according to the district, which notified the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. A contractor was called in to repair the leak, and the contaminated ground around the leak was excavated and hauled off site, district officials said.
Food stand named after Rotary Clubs
A new food concession structure in Coeur d’Alene’s McEuen Park will be named the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Clubs’ Harbor House when the park reopens in the spring.
Business leaders representing the city’s three Rotary Clubs pledged $50,500 over the next three years for the naming rights to Harbor House, which is under construction at the base of Tubbs Hill. The money is being collected by the Panhandle Parks Foundation and will be available for local park improvement projects.
Harbor House also will have restrooms and outdoor public seating and will house irrigation systems to pump water from Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Teens charged with murder, burglary
SENECA, S.C. – Authorities say two teens who broke into a home to steal electric guitars are charged with murder in the shooting death of a 32-year-old man from Washington.
Investigators said Scott Johnston, of Pullman, was shot several times around 7:30 a.m. Thursday in a house in Seneca. Oconee County deputies say a woman living with Johnston told them two masked men broke into the home and tied her up before the shooting. She was also shot in the foot.
Deputies say a neighbor, 18-year-old James Toward, and a 16-year-old male are charged with murder, first-degree burglary, kidnapping and other charges.