The stretch of rain and snow across much of Idaho in the last few weeks has transformed what looked to be a terrible water year into a pretty good one. It’s not just farmers who are breathing easier now. Many in Idaho’s tourism industry, like whitewater rafting companies, rely on snowpack and stream flows as well.
Chad Long of Cascade Raft and Kayak doesn’t want to go so far as to say he was worried at the beginning of this year when snowpack was below normal. But he does say he was starting to get concerned, and the rain and snow over the last month have him very relieved. He says things are more relaxed now at his family business.
Cascade Raft and Kayak offers day trips on the Payette River. Long says companies like his rely as much on seasonal rain and snow as farmers who need water for irrigation. Long says when potential customers know the water is low, they tend to stay away.
“When there’s not enough water to make it the ride that we expect, you know, you want to go through the rapids and you want the waves to be big enough to get you wet and get you splashed,” Long says. “So yeah, the low water years, people certainly don’t come as prevalently.”
Long says he’s gone from concern to optimism about having a successful whitewater season. He says even if Idaho doesn’t get any more snow, he’ll still have a good year. However, Long says his industry friends in other states, like California, are still worried. According to KQED, 2013 was California's driest year on record.
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