Date chosen for South Fork cleanup

WALLACE — A tentative date has been set for an expansive cleanup effort in the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River as it cuts through the city of Wallace.

Last fall, Wallace City Councilman Elmer Mattila announced that he was exploring the idea of getting a committee together in hopes of removing the estimated thousands of pounds of metal that is littered throughout the channel.

“It’s all pretty much all heavy, industrial type of metal that was either thrown in or dropped in during the days when the stream was considered to be Lead Creek and you couldn't even see the bottom or what was in the water,” Mattila said. “I think most of it has been here since the early 1900s.”

Following Wallace’s February council meeting, Mattila alerted the rest of the group that he had put together a six-person committee that had settled (tentatively) on holding their volunteer-based cleanup effort during the second weekend of September.

In early September, the water levels through the channel are significantly lower, as are the temperatures, which will make working conditions ideal for a completely voluntary job.

When it comes to a project like this one, things can get a little prickly when it comes to getting permissions and coordinating with the various agencies (groups like Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and the Shoshone Board of County Commissioners) who all have a say in what happens in and around the river.

“Currently, we are considering the weekend after Labor Day, Sept. 10 and 11 for the cleanup days,” Mattila said. “There have been conversations with most of the agencies and so far it is encouraging with no major issues to our project.”

The thing about most volunteer-based projects is that they require the donation of manpower, but this project may need more than just a high number of able bodied recruits.

“Some contractors with machinery have indicated they may be able to help us out and interested volunteers say they hope to assist as well,” Mattila said. “We’re going to need heavy machinery to pull most of that out of there.”

Mattila is exploring some options for funding and is open to any donations that want to be made to the project, but is also exploring grant applications in hopes of making sure that this project doesn’t stall out due to a lack of available resources.

“We will apply to the Morbeck Foundation for some money because we have no funds,” Mattila said. “Dennis O’Brien has informed me we can put donated funds into the Greater Wallace account until we can spend it. We will need portable toilets and lunches and drinks for anyone who helps out on the work days. Any money spent will go to our local businesses.“

If you are interested in helping with the South Fork cleanup project, please contact Elmer Mattila at emattila48@gmail.com.