Are you a landowner in the watershed? Are you interested in developing your property, cutting timber, placing a dock or buoy in the lake, or reporting a problem with a public road? You may wonder who to contact! This list may help you get started.
Public Land vs. Private Land – Where Are the Boundaries?
The ordinary high water (OHW) mark is the level of the lake water on the day that Idaho achieved statehood, July 3, 1890. At 2,239 feet in elevation, it marks the boundary between public and other-property ownership along the lake’s shoreline. Granted by the federal government, the bed and banks of Hayden Lake below the OHW mark belong to the State of Idaho for public use. The water in the lake is a public resource as well.
Below the Ordinary High Water Mark
| If you want to …… |
….. then contact: ____ |
| Install a dock, buoy, retaining wall, pump, water intake line, or any encroachment on the bed or banks of the lake or
Buy or sell lakefront property with an encroachment on the lake |
Idaho Department of Lands – Encroachment (note that Hayden Lake is in the Mica Supervisory Area) |
| Take water from the lake for use in your home, watering landscaping, agricultural irrigation, small manufacturing, etc. | |
| Question or report water quality concerns such as blue-green algae, E. Coli, toxins, general water health |
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality |
| Learn about fish and wildlife living in the lake, or report concerns about these | |
| Learn about or report the presence of invasive aquatic vegetation (Eurasian Watermilfoil; Curly-leaf Pondweed; etc.) and their treatment or management |
Idaho Department of Agriculture |
Private Land Above the Ordinary High Water Mark
| If you want to …… | ….. then contact: ____ |
| Change a shoreline, i.e., remove or plant vegetation, add a retaining wall, install a stairway | Kootenai County Community Development
See this informative document: Shoreline Management Areas |
| Change private land subdivision, develop your site, or build on your land | Kootenai County Planning Department |
| Learn about Idaho boating laws or
report problems on the water |
Kootenai County Boating Rules and Regulations
call Kootenai County Sheriff’s Marine Division dispatch at 1-208-446-1854 |
| Harvest trees from your private property or effectively care for and manage your private forest | Idaho Department of Lands See the IFP Rules – Idaho Forest Practices Act |
Public Services for Private Landowners
Services are provided by districts created and funded by the public under Idaho Code.
- The Lakes Highway District builds and maintains all public roads around the lake exclusive of the Forest Service Roads.
- A few water districts draw, treat, and convey water for domestic use to some residences in the watershed. North Kootenai Water and Sewer District is the largest of these districts, while the other is the Gem Shores Water District.
- The Hayden Lake Sewer District collects and conveys wastewater to the Hayden Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment.
- The Hayden Lake Watershed Improvement District’s mission is to protect and enhance the quality of the water in Hayden Lake and its watershed.
Public Land Above the Ordinary High Water Mark
- The City of Hayden owns and manages the Honeysuckle Boat Ramp and Beach.
- The Idaho Department of Fish & Game manages Sportsman Park and Boat Ramp.
- The Idaho Panhandle Nation Forest division of the US Forest Service manages the majority of the watershed that is located within the boundaries of the Coeur d’Alene National Forest as well as the small parcel on English Point. The Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District manages most activities in these forests. Administratively, the Forest and Ranger District are part of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The Forest Service maintains a large Forest Road and Trail System that permits access to federal forest land. Their Interactive Visitor Map shows you where the trails are. The forest travel plan dictates which roads and trails are open to selected motorized uses.
Other Agencies and Districts That Provide Advice to Landowners
- The Hayden Lake Watershed Association is the voice of the people regarding the quality of the water and the environment in the Hayden Lake Watershed. Read the Homeowner’s Guide to Living on Hayden Lake.
- The Kootenai-Shoshone Soil Conservation District can provide information for erosion control.
- The University of Idaho Extension Service is available for consultation on a myriad of issues.
