Avista Helicopter Surveys to Fly Low Over Coeur d'Alene Lake This Week

A helicopter flying just 250 feet above the surface of Coeur d'Alene Lake this week was not a cause for alarm. It was Avista, doing its environmental homework.

Avista conducted two days of natural resource surveys by helicopter on Thursday and Friday, March 26 and 27, weather permitting. The work is part of ongoing environmental monitoring efforts within the Spokane River Watershed.

During the survey period, people in the community could see a helicopter flying as low as 250 feet above the ground between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Avista said the scope of data collection required that kind of reach: the work is necessary to "safely and efficiently collect information across a wide geographic area."

Survey locations included Coeur d'Alene Lake, 30 miles up the Coeur d'Alene River, 30 miles up the St. Joe River, nine miles up the St. Maries River, and the Spokane River, Nine Mile Reservoir, and Lake Spokane. That range spans waterways across both northern Idaho and eastern Washington, putting much of the Kootenai County shoreline and its river corridors squarely in the flight path.

Residents and recreationists in these areas may notice brief periods of helicopter activity as crews move between survey locations. The flights were spread across two days and, according to Avista's release, were temporary and limited to daylight hours only.

Avista provided a map showing the general survey areas, with a red border outlining where the helicopter would operate. The company noted that media contact Jared Webley can be reached at (509) 495-7618 for questions about the surveys.

Avista provides energy services and electricity to 429,000 customers and natural gas to 386,000 customers in a service territory covering 34,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon. The utility's environmental monitoring work across the watershed reflects its ongoing obligations tied to hydroelectric project licensing and natural resource stewardship in the region.

The company closed its announcement with a note that it appreciates the public's understanding as this work is completed.