Lake Pend Oreille Water Quality

Understanding Your Views on
Pend Oreille Water Quality

THIS SECTION ASKS ABOUT YOUR CURRENT AND PAST USE OF THE LAKE PEND OREILLE
AREA

START
HERE

Please enter the 3-digit number printed above your address on your envelop or letter. This will allow us to recognize you as someone who responded over the Internet. If you respond on-line we will not send a questionnaire to you in the mail. This will save both time and money for printing and postage.
Your responses are strictly CONFIDENTIAL and your name will NEVER be associated with any answers you give below.

How long have you lived in northern Idaho? (Please write in your answer)
Years

How long have you lived in the Lake Pend Oreille area? (Please write in your answer)
Years

Which one area on Lake Pend Oreille is closest to where you own property? (Please check all that apply)

When do you typically live at your Lake Pend Oreille property?
(Please check all months that apply)
If you live at your property year round, check here and then skip to Q5, below.

How familiar are you with Lake Pend Oreille? (Please check one)

Not Familiar	Somewhat Familiar	Moderately Familiar	Quite Familiar	Exgtremely Familiar

How often do you participate in each of these recreation activities on Lake Pend Oreille?

	ACTIVITY	(Select one for each activity)
A.	Using motorized watercraft
B.	Using non-motorized watercraft
C.	Swimming in the lake
D.	Fishing in the lake
E.	SCUBA or snorkeling
F.	Wildlife Viewing
G.	Using Personal Watercraft (“Jet Skis”)

What types of watercraft do you use on Lake Pend Oreille?

NEXT, WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION ABOUT LAKE
PEND OREILLE AND WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE USEFULNESS OF THAT INFORMATION

Would you like to learn more about water quality in Lake Pend Oreille? (Please check one)

YES NO

Where would you most likely go to find information on water quality in Lake Pend Oreille? (Please write in your answer)

Q10

During the past few years, do you recall reading or hearing any information about water quality in Lake Pend Oreille? (Please check one)

YES NO (Please skip to Q13 below)

Q11

What topics do you remember reading/hearing about? (Please write your answer below)

Q12

Where did you see or hear these stories? (Please check all that apply)

	Local or Regional Television or Radio
	National Television or Radio
	Local or Regional Newspapers or Other Local Print Media
	National Magazines and Other National Print Media
	World Wide Web, Blogs, etc.
	Public Meetings
	Family, Friends and Neighbors/Word of Mouth
	Local Government Agency Publications
	State Government Agency Publications
	Federal Government Agency Publications
	Other (Please Write in Sources)

Q13

Overall, how interested are you in water quality issues for Lake Pend Oreille? (Please select one)

Q14

Overall, how familiar are you with water quality issues for Lake Pend Oreille? (Please select one)

Q15

Overall, how important to you are water quality issues for Lake Pend Oreille? (Please select one)

Q16

When you think of organizations that are involved in helping sustain and/or improve the water quality in Lake Pend Oreille, which ones come to mind? (Please check all that apply)

	US Environmental Protection Agency		Idaho Department of Agriculture
	Non-Profit Conservation Groups		Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
	Idaho Department of Lands		Cities
	Idaho Department of Fish and Game		Bonner County
	Idaho Transportation Department		Sewer Districts
	US Army Corps of Engineers		Homeowners Association
	US Geological Survey		Natural Resources Conservation District
	Idaho Department of Water Resources		Bonner Soil & Water Conservation District
	US Forest Service		Other (Please Write In)
	Bureau of Land Management

Q17

How much trust do you have in each of the following as sources of information on water quality in Lake Pend Oreille?

SOURCE	(Select one for each source)
Local or Regional Television or Radio
National Television or Radio
Local or Regional Newspapers or Other Local Print Media
National Magazines and Other National Print Media
World Wide Web, Blogs, etc.
Public Meetings
Family, Friends and Neighbors/Word of Mouth
Local Non-Profit Organization Publications
Local Government Agency Publication
State Government Agency Publication
Federal Government Agency Publications
Local Elected Officials (City and County Governments)
State Elected Officials (Senators and Representatives)

Q18

How knowledgeable are you about each of the following aspects of WATER QUALITY for Lake Pend Oreille?

WATER QUALITY ISSUES	(Select one for each issue)
· The sources of water contaminants and pollutants
· Control measures that are currently being used to control pollution and/or enhance water quality
· Laws and regulations that govern the use of the lake
· The role of different government agencies that manage the lake and the quality of its water
· The sources of excessive nutrients and their impact of the quality of lake water
· The roles of different non-governmental and private organizations that are working to enhance water quality for the lake
· The nature and status of the fishery resource
· The nature and extent of invasive aquatic weeds
· How your every-day activities may pollute the lake
· How your every-day activities may affect water quality

THIS SECTION ASKS ABOUT YOUR OWN OBSERVATIONS AND BELIEFS ABOUT THE QUALITY
OF THE WATER IN LAKE PEND OREILLE

Q19

For the next set of questions, please indicate how you feel about various statements about water quality in Lake Pend Oreille.

STATEMENT	(Select one for each statement)
· The water in Lake Pend Oreille is drinkable
· It is safe to swim in Lake Pend Oreille
· Motorized boating does not harm the quality of the water in Lake Pend Oreille
· It is safe to eat fish caught in Lake Pend Oreille
· Vegetation around the lakeshore can improve the quality of lake water
· The current water quality of Lake Pend Oreille needs to be protected
· The water quality of Lake Pend Oreille needs to be protected
· Homeowner activities can cause a decline in water quality
· Individuals must be responsible for lake water quality protection and improvement
· Sewage systems are a threat to the water quality of Lake Pend Oreille
· Burning slash piles, yard waste and having campfires along the shoreline harms water quality

Q20

Overall, how would you describe the trends in water quality in Lake Pend Oreille for the last 5 years? (Please check one)


Worse now	About the same as 5 years ago	Better now	I don't know

Q21

Have you ever seen signs warning of “NO SWIMMING” -–for health or safety reasons--at a public access beach around Lake Pend Oreille? (Please check one)

YES NO

Q22

Have you ever seen someone dumping what you considered improper materials into Lake Pend Oreille? (Please check one)

NO YES If YES, what was it? (Please describe)

Q23

Have you ever seen dead animals (e.g., fish, birds, frogs, etc.) in Lake Pend Oreille? (Please check one)

YES NO

Q24

The current level of recreational boating on Lake Pend Oreille is: (Please check one response)

Too High

About Right

Too Low for the Size of the Lake

I Don't Know

Q25

In general, how should government agencies, elected officials and community leaders of the area respond to threats to the water quality in Lake Pend Oreille? (Please rank all 5 options, with a “1” for the Most Preferred option and a “5” for the Least Preferred option. Use each number only once.)

		Control the types of land uses (e.g., forestry, agriculture, residential, etc.) adjacent to the lake in order to protect the lake and the quality of the water.
		Control the activities on the lake (e.g., size of boats, dock construction, etc.) in order to protect the lake and the quality of the water.
		Control the types of development (e.g., marinas, sub-divisions, golf courses, etc.) adjacent to the lake in order to protect the lake and the quality of the water.
		Adopt land use policies that can accommodate growth without harming water quality.
	Do nothing.

Q26

The majority of the homeowners on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille are doing their best to minimize their impact on the quality of the lake water (Please select one response)

Q27

What do you think is the single greatest threat, if any, to the water quality of Lake Pend Oreille? (Please write in your answer)

Q28

What actions, if any, do you think are necessary to protect the water quality of Lake Pend Oreille? (Please write in your answer)

THIS SECTION SEEKS INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CURRENT LAND USE PRACTICES FOR
YOUR LAKE PEND OREILLE PROPERTY

Q29

Do you have lakefront (i.e., land that touches the lake) property? (Please check one)

YES NO

Q30

Do you have a vegetative buffer, consisting of a strip of a mix of trees and shrubs, 10 feet or wider, between the water and your house and lawn? (Please check one)

YES NO

Q31

Do you control the aquatic vegetation along your shoreline? (Please check one response)
NO YES If YES, how? (Please describe)

Q32

In the past 12 months has your property undergone land disturbance (e.g., new landscaping construction, etc.)? (Please check one)

YES NO

Q33

Have you noticed any erosion (loss of soil, gullies, for example) on your property? (Please check one)

YES NO

Q34

Have you used any erosion control measures on your lakeshore property? (Please check one response)

NO YES If YES, what was it? (Please describe)

Q35

Do you use fertilizer on your lawn or garden? (Please check one)

NO YES

If YES, what type of fertilizer do you use? (Please check all that apply)

I don't know

Industrial Chemical-Based Fertilizers, such as triple superphosphate, potassium chloride,
urea, anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, etc.

Commercial Consumer Chemical-Based Fertilizers, such as Scotts Turf Builder®, Miracle
Grow®, Ace Green Turf Lawn Fertilizer®, etc.

Organic Fertilizers, such as manure, treated sewage, green manure, compost, bloodmeal,
bone meal or crop residue.

Other (please describe):

Q36

Where does your drinking water come from? (Please check one)

Lake Pend Oreille

Other Surface Water, Such as Streams or Rivers

Private/Community Well

Bottled Water

I Don't Know

Q37

What type of household wastewater system does your house use? (Please check one)

Centralized Wastewater/Sewer System

Septic Tank with Drainfield

Outhouse

Sewage Lagoon

Septic Tank with Direct Discharge to Lake

No Septic Tank/Direct Discharge to Lake

None

I Don't Know

Q38

Would you be interested in information on improving the functioning of your septic system? (Please check one)

YES NO

Q39

Do you own any livestock? (Please check one)

YES, with access to the lake or a tributary to the lake

YES, without access to the lake or a tributary to the lake

Q40

The following statements relate to the relationship that ought to exist between people and the environment. How do you feel about each of them?

RELATIONSHIP	(Select one for each relationship)
A. Plants and animals exist primarily for human use
B. Humankind was created to rule over the rest of nature
C. Humans have an ethical obligation to protect plant and animal species
D. The earth should have far fewer people on it
E. Wildlife, plants and humans have equal rights to live and develop on the earth

FINALLY, A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU

Q41

In what year were you born?

Q42

Are you (Please check one): Male Female

Q43

What is your current employment status? (Please check all that apply)

Retired	Employed Part Time
Unemployed	Homemaker
Employed Full Time	Student

Q44

How many years of formal education have you completed? (Please check one number)


1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
Elementary School						JR. High-High School						College				Graduate School

Q45

Including yourself, how many people are in your household? (Please write in your answers)

Children (0-12 Years)

Teens (13-17 Years)

Young Adults (18-24 Years)

Adults (25-54 Years)

Seniors (55+ Years)

WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWERING THE NEXT QUESTION. IF, HOWEVER, YOU FEEL THIS IS A PRIVATE MATTER WE RESPECT YOUR DECISION TO NOT ANSWER

Q46

Which of the following best describes your total household income, before taxes, for 2006? (Please check one)

I'd Rather Not Answer	$80,000-$99,999
Less than $20,000	$100,000-$119,999
$20,000-$39,999	$120,000-$139,999
$40,000-$59,999	$140,000-$159,999
$60,000-$79,999	$160,000 or More

Thank you for your help. If there is anything else you'd like to tell us about water quality in Lake Pend Oreille, we would appreciate your comments.

THANK YOU

Department of Conservation Social Sciences; College of Natural Resources; BOX 441139; University of Idaho; Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139

Please click on the "Submit" button to send your responses to us.