Who We Are and What We Are About

The Cocolalla Lake Association was formed June 4, 1985 and became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 1987 with a mission to halt and reverse the eutrophication process occurring in Cocolalla Lake and preserve it for public benefit and use.  The association is a viable, active grassroots organization with a membership of approximately 100 households.  Monthly board meetings are held from April through October.  The Cocolalla Lake Association is a highly effective organization utilizing both a team approach and rotation of volunteers.

 

Cocolalla Lake is an 800 acre public lake situated 15 miles south of Sandpoint in Bonner County, Idaho.  The lake has five major in flowing streams and a watershed 52 times greater than the lake area.

 

In 1995 ten members of the Cocolalla Lake Association took a course titled Idaho Stream Walk Ecology.  This course was instructed through the University of Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, University of Idaho.  Three participants applied for and received university credits for this course along with seven other members who were certified as Stream Walkers.  The Cocolalla Lake Association has conducted a Stream Walk, according to published EPA protocol and published results of the Stream Walk since 1995.  For ten years Fish Creek and Cocolalla Creek were monitored yearly.  In 2005, we began to monitor Westmond Creek and still continue to monitor Cocolalla Creek.  Because the watershed of Cocolalla Lake is 52 times greater than the lake itself the Stream Walk process provides a good indication of what is happening in the watershed and watershed status is eventually reflected in the lake.  The annual Stream Walk allows us to monitor and identify problem areas and provide assistance with solutions.

 

The Cocolalla Lake Association also provides educational information for lake users and owners to reduce the amount of nutrients coming into the lake.  These nutrients support excessive amounts of plant and algae growth resulting in low water clarity.  Monitoring of water clarity is done monthly by four Cocolalla Lake Association volunteers with results published in our Annual Stream Walk report.

 

We invite anyone who shares our mission to preserve this beautiful North Idaho lake to join our Cocolalla Lake Association.