Public Consultation on International Elk-Kootenai/y Draft Plan of Study

The comment period closed on Monday February 17, 2025. Thank you for your comments. A "What We Heard" report summarizing comments will soon be made available.

The International Elk-Kootenai/y Watershed Study Board (Study Board) is inviting public comment on a draft Plan of Study to explore the impacts of water pollution in the Kootenai/y watershed. The study was launched in September 2024 and will conclude in September 2026. 

The International Joint Commission (IJC) established the Study Board in September 2024 to undertake the following task (the following is a plain-language summary, please consult the Directive for the official language): 

1. The Study Board will: (i) conduct transparent and coordinated transboundary data and knowledge sharing; (ii) share, synthesize and analyze data and information to support a common understanding of pollution within the Kootenai/y watershed and the impacts of that pollution on people and species; and, (iii) report and make recommendations in a transparent and publicly available format on the following matters:  

• the best available observational data, scientific research and traditional Indigenous knowledge on influences, sources, status and trends of pollution in the Kootenai/y watershed and associated effects on ecosystem health, which could include but is not limited to fish and aquatic life, wildlife, human health and cultural uses  

• data and research gaps, assumptions and uncertainties, including any factors affecting data accessibility and comparability, such as data types and collection and reporting methods relevant to improving understanding, measurement and monitoring of the matters reviewed by the Study Board  

• recommendations for strengthening, coordinating and prioritizing efforts on data sharing and transparency, science, monitoring and research, and incorporation of Indigenous knowledge, and other next steps and recommended actions on the matters reviewed by the Study Board  

• a synthesis of the available data and scientific information and a resulting understanding of the water quality issues in the Kootenai/y watershed including contaminants of concern, areas, and water and ecological resources affected  

• methods and procedures for ongoing monitoring and data analyses to further define the extent of pollution and identify trends in concentrations of contaminants in the watershed.  

To achieve this task, the Study Board developed a draft Plan of Study to guide its work over the study period. The Study Board is currently seeking written feedback from the public and interested parties on the draft Plan of Study with the intent of finalizing and submitting the plan to the IJC in late February. The Study Board is holding a two-week comment period from February 3rd to February 17th. The Board will also host a virtual public meeting on February 11, 2025 (see registration info below). 

In the draft Plan of Study, the Study Board has defined four Technical Working Groups focused on key aspects of the Study, including a) Water Quality Status and Trends; b) Impacts to Human Health and Well-Being; c) Impacts to Ecosystems, Including Cumulative Effects; and d) Mitigation Efforts and Activities and Available Tools.  The Plan of Study includes initial objectives that will be further developed as the Groups start their process. These groups will contribute to the work of the Study Board by assembling, synthesizing, and assessing the existing data, studies, summaries, risk assessments, and well-being studies, and identify gaps that need to be filled.   

Questions that the Study Board is seeking input on: 

Please respond to these questions, providing information about your interests and concerns in a way that the Study Board and IJC can address and integrate them into the study, within the scope of the Reference and Directive received by the Study Board. 

• Are there aspects you consider central to the principal issues that you would like to be considered for inclusion?  

• Are there specific questions related to the Study Board’s directed task that you would like to be considered as the Technical Working Groups develop their approach? 

• Is there any information you would like to share with the board for their consideration (e.g., historical data, anecdotal information, knowledge of past/current/upcoming projects that could have a bearing on water quality in the watershed)?  

Useful Links: 

• International Elk-Kootenai/y Watershed Study Board website 

• IJC Directive to Study Board 

• IEKWSB Draft Plan of Study 

• Reference Letters to the International Joint Commission