The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie (SVRP) Aquifer, which spans both Washington and Idaho, is the sole source of water for the majority of Spokane County and Kootenai County. 15 to 100 thousand years ago, the deposits from the glacial floods of Lake Missoula created what we now know as the SVRP Aquifer. Historically, the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane Tribes lived around the SVRP Aquifer. The land and water provided fish, animals, and plants, as well as the river; the river became a central part of their history and culture. Today, the City of Spokane is the largest water purveyor for the SVRP Aquifer.
The City of Spokane discovered the SVRP Aquifer in the early 1900s and by 1908, it became the sole water source for the City. The use of the aquifer allowed the agriculture and industrial sectors to grow in the region, bringing more development, people, and water contamination to the area. Throughout the years the watershed has seen much change: the loss of salmon in the river, pollution, damming of the river, clean-up and restoration, and changes in flow rates.
While the aquifer has its own natural boundaries, it crosses different political boundaries. The aquifer spans across two states - Washington and Idaho - and this has an impact on the legal ramifications for water quality, standards, and conservation. Since there is extensive crossover between the Spokane River and SVRP Aquifer, the aquifer is vulnerable to contamination and the river to a decrease in flow rates.
Today, we are still learning how to best interact with the Spokane River and SVRP Aquifer. It is the region’s sole source of water, so its existence is pertinent to the area’s future and viability. It is also our responsibility to use the watershed in a respectful way: we are stewards of the River and it has a right to exist beyond just a human resource.
For more information about the SVRP Aquifer and our relation to it, check out the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Atlas, 2015 Edition https://www.spokanecounty.org/1227/SVRP-Aquifer-Home