Marine Link
Friday, March 29, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

North Idaho News

28 Feb 2008

Tugboats Hired to Break Ice in St. Joe Valley

Benewah County has hired a tugboat operator to break ice on Lake Coeur dAlene to ease the flood threat in the St. Joe River valley. Two tugs from North Idaho Maritime are expected to start work Thursday near Harrison, about 15 miles south of Coeur d'Alene. They'll be breaking ice along 30 miles of water to St. Maries, where the St. Maries River empties into the St. Joe. Emergency Management Director Norm Suenkel says that will reduce the danger of ice jams and flooding. Suenkel expects the state to pay the cost because the county declared a state of emergency after heavy snowfall this month. The north Idaho snowpack below 4,500 feet elevation is 80 percent over normal, and ice was 7 inches thick Wednesday on the St. Joe River at St. Maries. Source: AP

15 May 2006

Navy Tests New Stealth Destroyer

Bayview at Lake Pend Oreille in North Idaho is the site of the Navy's Acoustic Research Detachment. It is also the new home of the Sea Jet, a $16m, 130 foot-long scale model of the Navy's next-generation DDX destroyer. The Sea Jet has a new hull design and stealthy deck house. It is testing a new water jet propulsion system. The ship's jet-ski-like system is powered by an electric drive connected to batteries. It can power radar, sonar and other equipment on board. So far, the boat has sailed 16 straight days. Henry Netzer, director of the Navy's Acoustic Research Detachment in Bayview, says most of the testing is done late at night. The Navy is hoping to begin building all electric ships within the next decade. (Source: KLXY)