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CapitalPress.com
June 22, 2018
People & Places
Using rain garden as biofilter
Jim Ekins develops
natural filter for
runoff heading for
Idaho river, aquifer
Western
Innovator
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
With the right approach in
the right setting, slowing wa-
ter’s flow can go a long way
toward improving its quality,
a University of Idaho demon-
stration project near the Spo-
kane River in Coeur d’Alene
finds.
UI Extension water educa-
tor Jim Ekins led the creation
of a bio-infiltration swale at
the school’s Coeur d’Alene
Center.
Essentially a landscaped
temporary holding pond with
added features, the swale
captures water runoff — and
what is suspended in it such as
oil and other pollutants from
cars — and filters it through
sand and coarse soil before it
can reach the river or aquifer.
Natural processes in the soil
destroy or neutralize most of
the pollutants.
Each year the swale can
treat up to 50 million gallons
of storm water runoff from
nearby streets and parking
lots.
The swale is also designed
to benefit wildlife. It is plant-
ed with native grasses, flow-
ers and shrubs to help make
it a self-watering garden
for pollinators and other ani-
mals.
A bio-infiltration swale is
“a fancy name for a rain gar-
den,” Ekins said. “In a lot of
cases, you will see them as
grassy swales, meaning the
functionality is based on the
plants that happen to be grow-
ing in it.”
Swales are “all over in
Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls,
Dalton, Hayden,” he said,
referring to cities in the Ida-
ho panhandle’s lake region.
“Usually they are tucked into
Jim Ekins
Occupation: University
of Idaho Extension water
educator
Age: 47
UI Extension
University of Idaho Extension water educator Jim Ekins: Swale is “a fancy name for a rain garden.”
UI Extension
A new bio-infiltration swale at the University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene
Center gathers and filters storm water before it enters the nearby
Spokane River.
a small corner of a develop-
ment.”
Bio-infiltration
swales
help municipalities comply
with federal Clean Water Act
rules for non-point-source
storm water pollution, Ekins
said. The required size of a
swale is based on the amount
of nearby impervious surface
such as pavement.
Swales often are near large
buildings where they can han-
dle roof and parking lot runoff
that otherwise would rush into
a storm drain and a nearby
stream, he said.
“Here the idea is to slow it
down, let it sit in the swale a
short time,” Ekins said. “The
stream doesn’t have to accept
this big rush of water, which
can cause erosion.”
UI’s swale is 9,600 square
feet with a water holding ca-
pacity of about 5,500 cubic
feet. Ekins said it is bigger
than most because it takes
water from a large area. The
swale has one pipe that deliv-
ers stormwater to it before the
water gets to the river about
100 yards away. Another pipe
helps keep the swale from
overflowing.
The design applies some
recent research findings and
aims to show how effective
bio-infiltration swales can be,
he said.
Grass excels at treating
stormwater pollution, though
most plants can do an ade-
quate job, he said. UI’s swale
is mostly grass — it features
fescue — with some woody
shrubs and native plants. Soil
components, basically min-
erals and compost or humus,
add filtration capability while
accommodating plants.
The UI swale, between
busy Northwest Boulevard and
the Centennial Trail, is at the
bottom of a hill below a neigh-
borhood and section of road.
“These swales also protect
the aquifer as much as the riv-
For the Capital Press
SILVER LAKE, Ore. —
At the age of 16, Daniel Miles
said he was ready to take over
the operation of his grandfa-
ther’s ranch in the high desert
of Central Oregon.
But Harold Miles told his
grandson to have patience
and that finishing his school-
ing had priority. Daniel Miles
did follow his elder’s advice,
graduating from North Lake
High School in 2010 and then
from Oregon State University
in 2013. His degree was in ag-
ricultural science.
Daniel, now 25, and his
wife, Leanna, have now taken
over the Miles Ranch, a 1,300-
acre hay, grain, pasture and
cow-calf operation. Leanna is
also an OSU graduate, having
earned a degree in agricultural
business management.
This type of generational
transition doesn’t always oc-
cur in agricultural business-
es because there are fewer
younger people who have an
interest in making agriculture
a career. But Daniel grew up in
this environment and has been
helping on the ranch since he
was old enough.
Craig Reed/For the Capital Press
The Miles Ranch in the Silver Lake, Ore., area is transitioning from
Harold and Lois Miles, left, to their grandson, Daniel, and his wife,
Leanna, who is holding their son Marcus. Daniel Miles says he is
blessed to have the opportunity to carry on the family’s ranching
tradition.
His father, Lloyd, was ac-
tually in the transitional stage
of taking over the family oper-
ation, but died in a traffic acci-
dent in 2009 on a dusty, rural
gravel road while en route to
check an irrigation pump mo-
tor. That’s when the 16-year-
old Daniel said he could take
over, but his grandfather
quickly re-directed the teenag-
er back to getting an education.
“He was willing, but prob-
ably not ready,” Harold Miles
said of Daniel.
Daniel still helped with the
work, however. The neigh-
bors helped the Miles family
get the third cutting of hay
in the barn during that tragic
year and some of the ranch
was leased for the next two
years and some for the next
five years.
After earning their degrees
at OSU, Daniel and Leanna
returned to work the family
ranch with the blessing of their
grandparents, Harold, 85, and
Lois, 78.
“We’re very happy to have
somebody in the family con-
tinue our labors,” Lois Miles
said. “There are fewer young
Saturday, June 23
2018 Washington State Dairy
Ambassador Coronation. 5 p.m. Bel-
levue High School Performing Arts
Center, 10416 SE Wolverine Way,
Bellevue, Wash. Five candidates
are vying to become the Washing-
ton State Dairy Ambassador for the
coming year. The doors open at 5
p.m. and the program begins at 6
p.m. Tickets ordered by June 12 are
adults $20, students $10 and 6 and
under free. Tickets purchased after
June 12 or at the door will be adults
$25, students $15, under 6 still free.
Tickets will be available for pick up
at the door. For ticket information,
please contact Gloria Edwards by
email at gloria.wsdw@hotmail.com
or 360-273-7313.
Saturday-Sunday
June 23-24
Aquaponics in Oregon: Discover
the Growing Potential Conference.
Western Oregon University, Smith
Hall, 345 Monmouth Ave., Mon-
mouth, Ore. Aquaponics is the mar-
riage of hydroponics (growing food
in water) and aquaculture (growing
fish) in a sustainable closed system.
This highly sustainable closed-loop
ecosystem creates the optimum en-
vironment for fish and plants to thrive
naturally, therefore, growing pure,
chemical-free food. This weekend
workshop is intended for anyone in-
terested in learning more about how
we can grow this emerging green in-
dustry here in Oregon. We will hear
from some of the top commercial
growers, innovators and educators
in this emerging green industry and
discover the challenges and oppor-
tunities aquaponics presents. Cost:
$75 for Saturday or Sunday; $135
for entire weekend. Website: https://
bit.ly/2KdDXSM
Tuesday, June 26
Get Ready for Market Work-
shop. 5-7 p.m. OSU Extension Li-
brary, SOREC, Research Building,
569 Hanley Road, Central Point,
Ore. Learn everything you need to
know to get your produce and crafts
to market. This class will walk you
through market preparation and
presentation. Experienced farmers,
crafters jury committee chair and a
site manager from the Rogue Val-
ley Growers and Crafters Market
Rick Hansen
Chief Financial Officer
Capital Press Managers
Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher
Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director
Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor
Education: Master’s
degree, community and re-
gional planning, University of
Oregon; bachelor’s degree,
natural resources, Western
Carolina University
Entire contents copyright © 2018
EO Media Group
dba Capital Press
Family: Single
er,” he said.
The Spokane-Rathdrum
Aquifer, largely lacking a pro-
tective cap because sandy soil
overlays it in many places, is
the sole source of drinking
water for almost 600,000 peo-
ple in the region.
Ekins, who works with
students of all ages and com-
munity volunteers, plans to
install a monitoring well — a
kind of perforated pipe with a
container at the bottom — to
take samples of water before
and after it enters the swale
and percolates through the
soil. The goal is to record dif-
ferences in water quality.
Funding sources for the
approximately $8,000 project
included the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation,
the City of Coeur d’Alene,
the Coeur d’ Alene Tribe’s
lake-management
division
and the Kootenai Aquifer Pro-
tection District.
“We are trying to figure out
how to retrofit these swales,
or rain gardens, into existing
city areas, and that is the in-
novation,” Ekins said.
people who are taking over for
the older generation. We feel
fortunate to have Daniel and
Leanna back here.”
Daniel said he feels bless-
ed to have the opportunity to
carry on the family’s ranching
tradition.
“I feel more honored by
the responsibility than over-
whelmed by it,” the young
man said of making sure the
ranch continues to be a suc-
cess. “It’s an opportunity to
carry on and to build on what
others have essentially done
for me, to build something for
their kids.
“The story of this ranch is
how much I’ve been given,
how much we’ve been given,”
he explained. “When dad died,
the community helped us so
much and we’ve been helped a
lot since then.”
Scott Pierson, another Sil-
ver Lake area rancher and vice
president of the Oregon Hay &
Forage Association, said it is
wonderful to see young people
like Daniel and Leanna step up
and make agriculture their pro-
fession. Pierson was friends
with Lloyd Miles.
“It is so imperative that we
have the next generation com-
ing into agriculture,” Pierson
said. “For all the effort people
like Harold and Lois Miles
put out there, you don’t want
to see it be in vain. We want
our children to be the next
generation. We want our chil-
dren to be independent, but
also interdependent so they’re
able to work successfully in
agriculture with other people
in the industry.
“It’s a challenge,” he add-
ed. “It’s a volatile environ-
ment passing the torch from
one generation to another,
trying to keep the land with-
out being taxed to death. You
need to be really sharp in your
business in navigating the
process of passing the torch.
It’s not an easy thing to do.”
Harold Miles is optimistic
Daniel and Leanna can make
that transition “because they
are willing.”
“I have faith in Jesus Christ
that they can do this success-
fully,” Harold said.
The young couple already
has the next generation want-
ing to help. Their 6-month-
old son, Marcus, has been on
a tractor.
“He would like to steer,”
Daniel said, drawing laughs
and smiles from his wife and
grandparents.
will review the rules for entry into
markets. They’ll also share tips and
tricks learned over the years to
make bringing products to market
easier and more profitable. There
will be some handouts for reference.
A sample booth will be set up. Cost:
$10 Website: http://bit.ly/JacksonS-
mallFarms
Wednesday, June 27
Snake River Pest Manage-
ment Tour. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Aberdeen
Research and Extension Center,
1684-1698 2700 West Road, Ab-
erdeen, Idaho. The tour will feature
several weed-control trials in pota-
toes including targeted herbicide
programs in potatoes, Sonalan tank
mixtures and sulfentrazone-formula-
tion comparisons. Researchers will
also discuss their work on herbicide
mechanism of action, quinoa her-
bicide screening and Litchi tomato
herbicide management.
Corporate Officers
Heidi Wright
Chief Operating Officer
Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager
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in the subject line.
Established 1928
Board of Directors
Mike Forrester
Steve Forrester
Kathryn Brown
Susan Rana
Harrison Forrester
Mike Omeg
Cory Bollinger
Jeff Rogers
Hometown: Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho
Younger generation takes on family ranch
By CRAIG REED
Capital Press
Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager
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Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.-
noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881 N.
Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho. This
is the third session of a six-session
course on forest ecology, silviculture,
wildlife habitat, and other forestry
topics. Cost: $38 Email: cschnepf@
uidaho.edu
Index
Snake River Pest Management
Tour. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Kimberly Re-
search and Extension Center, 3806
N 3600 E, Kimberly, Idaho. The tour
will include broadleaf and wild oat
control in spring wheat, clover cover
crop in wheat, safflower tolerance
to sulfentrazone and weed-control
comparison between direct seeded
and conventional tillage sugar beets.
Research into potato psyllid, Colo-
rado potato beetle and aphid and
wireworm management in potato will
also be featured.
Accuracy is important to Capital
Press staff and to our readers.
Dairy .................................... 10
Markets ............................... 13
Opinion .................................. 6
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