January 28, 2025
For Immediate Release
Appointment of Big Payette Lake Water Quality Council Members to be a new Watershed Advisory Group
The Director of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), Jess Byrne, has appointed the members of the Big Payette Lake Water Quality Council (the “Council”) to serve as the Big Payette Lake Watershed Advisory Group. Watershed Advisory Groups, or WAGs, have been formed for many watersheds in Idaho where water quality problems can benefit from local insights and expertise. Payette Lake previously had a Watershed Advisory Group in the early 2000s. The new WAG will assist IDEQ with monitoring programs, water quality plan updates, and technical coordination to help assure that the beneficial uses of Payette Lake are maintained for the long term.
The Council and its predecessors have worked with IDEQ since 1993 with the passage of the Big Payette Lake Water Quality Act. Under the Act, the original Council undertook a multi-year comprehensive study of Payette Lake. That led to the development of a water quality management plan and implementation program which was adopted by the Idaho Legislature and local governments in 1997. As conditions have changed over time, the need for a new look at water quality has become apparent. A recent University of Idaho study found near-shore pollution levels that prompt new efforts to understand what’s occurring and how to maintain a healthy lake.
Deb Fereday, President of the Council, explained, “This new connection with IDEQ will help provide new, critical data, analysis and projects to steer us toward a more sustainable watershed. Changes and challenges are piling up, and we can’t let our guard down while Payette Lake deteriorates.”
Members of the Council appointed to the new WAG include Deb Fereday, Tom Tidwell, Laura Shealy, Scott Harris, Pam Pace, Tom Foerstel, Melissa Porter, David Burica, Mike Beckwith, David Simmonds, Tyler Harris, Greg Irvine and Ed Elliott.