Wildfires have been burning across Idaho this summer, and their list of harmful impacts is long, from worsening health conditions because of smoke to challenges recovering millions in costs to fight them.
But a recent U.S. Geological Survey has added another bad side effect to the list: the rise of a toxic chemical.
The study, which took place between 2021 and 2022, sampled 57 streams at the beginning of river systems in Idaho, Oregon and Washington for mercury, a chemical that can damage the human nervous system at high concentrations. In both water and sediment from the streams, one-year post-fire, mercury concentrations were higher.
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Concentrations of methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury that’s made when microbes add carbon to mercury, were also 178% higher in water from burned streams. Insects that filtered stream water or ate debris also had higher levels. The compound becomes dangerous as it accumulates in animals over time and gets absorbed by tissues in the body, according to the World Health Organization.
“There hasn’t been a lot of work done on the effects of wildfire on mercury,” Austin Baldwin, a USGS research hydrologist who led the study, told the Idaho Statesman. “With wildfires increasing in both severity and frequency, there was interest with me and my co-authors on knowing what are the effects.”
Baldwin said that when wildfires come through an area, they burn vegetation, which loosens mercury-containing soil and causes erosion into streams and mercury contamination. More studies would need to be done to understand if mercury levels after wildfires are high enough to be a concern for humans, he added.
Mercury levels likely won’t stay high forever and will taper off with major rainfall or the first snow melt after the fire, Baldwin said.
While the best solution to keep mercury out of streams would be preventing wildfires, Baldwin thinks prescribed burns could help mitigate some of the effects. The USGS study found mercury concentrations went up more in areas where wildfires were worse.
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Prescribed burns, which are small fires set intentionally, can reduce the future risk of high-intensity fires by 64%, according to a study by Columbia and Stanford universities.
“If you can lower burn severities, you can also lower mercury,” Baldwin said.
When people are exposed to methylmercury, it often happens through fish consumption.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Fish Consumption Advisory Project regularly tests fish in areas commonly contaminated with mercury. When mercury levels are too high in a species, the state agency issues advisories to avoid eating the species, said Drew Pendleton, the state toxicologist.
Many of the areas that cause fish advisories in Idaho are related to mining, and Pendleton is not “too concerned” about mercury increases from the wildfires. But the research could help inform the state on future sites for testing, he said.
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Pendleton recommends visiting the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Health and Welfare websites to check for advisories on mercury exposure and learn the best methods to stay safe.
2024 The Idaho Statesman. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Wildfires are increasing toxic mercury in streams in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, study finds (2024, August 15)
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The rotunda as seen on March 16, 2026, at the Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise. (Photo by Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun)
Ahead of the 2026 primary elections, the League of Women Voters of Idaho is teaming up with several local groups to hold candidate forums and voter education events in the hopes of boosting voter turnout.
The groups invited all candidates for public office in Ada and Canyon County’s commissions, and inlegislative district 11, which is in Canyon County.
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The groups that are hosting include Mormon Women for Ethical Government, the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of University Women’s Boise branch and the College of Idaho’s Masters of Applied Public Policy Program.
Here’s when and where the forums are:
Ada County Commissioner District 2:7-8:30 p.m. April 24 at Meridian City Hall, located at 33 E. Broadway Ave. in Meridian.
Ada County Commissioner District 1:7-8:30 p.m. April 28 at Valley View Elementary School, located at 3555 N Milwaukee St. in Boise.
Legislative District 11:6:30-8:30 p.m. April 30 at Caldwell City Hall, located at 205 S. 6th Ave. in Caldwell.
Canyon County Commissioner:6-8 p.m. May 7 at Caldwell City Hall, 205 S. 6th Ave. in Caldwell.
Learn more about candidates at the League of Women Voters’ online voter guide,VOTE411.ORG.
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BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho drivers wanting to celebrate America’s anniversary this year now have a unique way to do that. The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles has released an America 250 license plate to mark the occasion.
The new license plate includes an American flag on a blue background with the words “America 250” and the dates “1776 – 2026.”
The plate requires an extra fee that will go toward supporting the Idaho Heritage Trust, according to an Idaho Transportation Department news release. The specific fee wasn’t listed.
“This plate gives Idahoans a chance to mark a historic milestone and show their pride on the road,” said Lisa McClellan, DMV administrator, in a statement. “We’re proud to offer a design that honors our country’s past while supporting Idaho’s efforts to preserve its own history.”
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The America 250 license plate was released to celebrate a historic national milestone. | Idaho Transportation Department
Idaho’s favorite license plate
The new license plate may give Idaho’s favorite a run for its money.
The Idaho Transportation Department recently held a “Battle of the Plates” vote to find out which license plate Idahoans loved best.
The Forests Forever plate was crowned the champion on April 7. Funds generated from this plate go toward Idaho replanting and reforestation projects, as well as environmental education programs for Idaho students and teachers.
“One of Idaho’s newest plates, Forests Forever made a strong run and came out on top, highlighting just how much Idahoans value our forests and natural resources,” the transportation department said in a social media post.
Idahoans chose Forests Forever as their favorite specialty license plate. | Idaho Transportation Department
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