The West Branch Watershed

• Location: Pend Oreille, Spokane, Steven Counties
• Total Drainage: 66,560 acres
• Total River Length: 15.7 miles
• Major Lakes – 7: Diamond, Sacheen, Horseshoe, Trout, Wilderness, Fan, Eloika Lake
• Forested land: 57,574 acres
• Agriculture land: 5,192 acres
• Residential areas: 1,531 acres
• Average Precipitation: 15” in lower elevations; 45” in higher elevations

West Branch - Little Spokane River - Watershed Committee

The Eloika Lake Association is a founding member of the West Branch of the Little Spokane Watershed Committee. Formed in 2006 by area residents, land owners and public agencies, the WB-LSR Watershed Committee is a collaborative, citizen-driven effort to address water resource and habitat issues. One goal is to have a say in imminent and future water management decisions, with particular interest in project funding proposals, most paid for with public money. Faced with increasing water usage, concerns about water and property rights, changing weather patterns, new development and land use decisions, the WB-LSR Watershed Committee meets regularly to stay engaged with those agencies whose decisions, projects and programs directly impact quality of life within the watershed. Meetings are open to anyone interested. More - click this link -- http://www.spokanecounty.org/wqmp/projects/ASP/WestBranch.asp

Watershed Planning - What is a WRIA?

Watershed planning in Washington State is conducted within the framework of the Watershed Management Act (ESHB 2514), passed by the Washington State Legislature in 1998. The Act enables local citizens, interest groups, and governmental organizations to collaboratively identify and solve water-related issues in each of the 62 Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA) of the state. Codified into law [Ch. 90.82 RCW], Watershed Planning is intended to set a framework for developing local solutions to watershed issues on a watershed basis. Ch. 90.82 states: The legislature finds that the local development of watershed plans for managing water resources and for protecting existing water rights is vital to both state and local interests. More - click this link – http://www.ecy.wa.gov/watershed/index.html

The Little Spokane River - Watershed Planning – Spokane County

Spokane County is the lead agency for WRIA 55/57 - Little & Middle Spokane River, and WRIA 54 - Lower Spokane River. The Little Spokane River Spokane flows into the Spokane River west of Spokane. The larger Spokane River System, tributary to the Columbia River, extends from Washington into Idaho. WRIA 55 is comprised of the entire drainage basin of the Little Spokane River. The West Branch LSR Watershed is a sub-basin of the LSR System and includes Diamond, Sacheen, Horseshoe, Trout, Wilderness, Fan and Eloika Lakes, connecting reaches of the River, associated wetlands, and contributing streams. More - click: http://www.spokanecounty.org/watershed_planning.htm