HLWA Accomplishments

Since 1998, the Hayden Lake Watershed Association has been actively dedicated to restoring, safeguarding, and advocating for the health of our watershed. We are incredibly proud to showcase this timeline of accomplishments alongside the community members whose support fuels our mission. Expand each year below to trace our evolution from a grassroots movement into a legacy of lasting impact.

Years Protecting the Watershed

Watershed Area (miles)

Partner Agencies & Organizations

Safeguarding Our Lake's Future (2020 – Present)

2026 ADVOCACY & POLICYWATER QUALITY Marina Opposition & Hayden Creek Restoration

Facilitated the opposition to expansion of the Hayden Lake Marina, citing traffic, parking, big boat impacts, and shoreline erosion in Coopers Bay. Application withdrawn ↗ in April.

Collaborating with the WID to fund Lake Hosts to prevent the introduction of invasive mussels into Hayden Lake.

Phase Two ↗ of "Healthy Hayden Creek" Initiative.

2024–2025 WATER QUALITYSTEWARDSHIP Healthy Hayden Creek & Kiosk

Received a grant to reclaim eroding Hayden Creek stream banks and mud bog areas. Began planning for multi-year community service projects, termed the “Healthy Hayden Creek” campaign.

Completed the Information Kiosk ↗ at Honeysuckle Beach, with the partnership of the City of Hayden.

Collaborated with the WID to develop and print a map/informational brochure ↗ for distribution at public and retail sites.

Supported formation of a coalition of Northern Idaho Small Waterways, which will focus on studying wake boat shoreline impacts, invasive mussel prevention and blue green algae blooms.

Launch ↗ of the "Healthy Hayden Creek" Initiative and Large-Scale Debris Removal. This period focuses on tributary health through riparian planting, erosion mitigation, and active volunteer engagement.

2023 ADVOCACY & POLICYSTEWARDSHIP Code Enforcement & Wildfire Safety

Sponsored a Code Enforcement Workshop ↗ with special emphasis on limiting shoreline degradation and for enforcement of prohibited building practices which contribute sediment into the lake. Led to community support for the county's successful initiative to impose fines on habitual offenders.

Continued educational activities relating to wildfire prevention, including fire hydrant servicing and successfully lobbying AVISTA ↗ to bury overhead power lines in vulnerable areas.

2022 WAKE PROTECTIONADVOCACY & POLICY Buoy Expansion & Launch Defense

Supported efforts by the Hayden Lake Watershed Improvement District, (WID), to add 14 additional buoys, bringing the total to 31.

Facilitated opposition to the re-location of the city of Hayden’s boat launch ↗ to Honeysuckle Bay. (Unanimously denied by the city council.)

Collaborated with the Forest Service and the WID to erect a permanent berm at the FSR 437 unlicensed shooting site to limit dangerous sediment from reaching Hayden Creek. (Completed in 2023.)

2021 WAKE PROTECTIONADVOCACY & POLICY Excessive Wake Zone Approval

Led the successful Honeysuckle Bay No Wake zone initiative; resulted in 3 more permanent buoys.

Spearheaded an expanded no wake zone initiative which resulted in the approval of a 300 foot “excessive wake zone” by Kootenai County. (For boats towing or plowing in the water.)

Created moveable dock signage, “Keep Your Wake in the Middle of the Lake ↗”

Commented extensively on the US Forest Service plans for logging and clear cutting in the watershed, (The Honey Badger Project.)

Launch of the Boat Wake Incident Registry ↗.

Testified against multiple high density development projects that had direct and irreversible impacts to the lake.

Strategic Expansion Era (2010 - 2019)

2018–2019 WATER QUALITYWAKE PROTECTION North Arm Study & Marker Buoys

The North Arm Water Quality Initiative. A comprehensive study is launched to specifically track severe eutrophication in the shallow northern impoundment, culminating in the publication of the definitive North Arm Water Quality Report ↗.

The "No-Wake" Advocacy period. HLWA successfully petitions for the placement of legal 200-foot marker buoys to protect shorelines, which the Department of Lands approves in 2019.

2015 STEWARDSHIP HLWID District Formation

2014–2016 WATER QUALITY Harmful Algae Bloom Monitoring

2010 STEWARDSHIP Official 501(c)(3) Status Granted

Foundational Period (1980s – 2009)

2009 WATER QUALITY Management Plan Addendum

2004–2005 STEWARDSHIPWATER QUALITY HLWA Merger & Lake Manager

The Hayden Lake Watershed Association (HLWA as we know it today) is reformed by a merger between two earlier groups: Hayden Lake Watershed Association and "Save Hayden Lake".

HLWA contributes to the Hayden Lake Homeowners’ Guide ↗, a regional stewardship resource promoting septic maintenance and erosion control.

The HLWA provides initial funding for a dedicated Lake Manager, establishing a scientific monitoring program to track water quality trends, begins a lake debris cleanup program, and plantings along lower Hayden Creek.