Officials estimate more than 150,000 people have floated the Boise River between Barber and Ann Morrison Parks this summer headed into the final weekend rental and shuttle service. Floater services end for the season Monday evening.
It hasn't been a record-setting float season, but officials say it’s been a smooth one.
Floater services are jointly managed by Ada County and the City of Boise. City Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway said the floattheboise.org website illustrates the improved partnership of recent years.
“When we have 27,000 visits to the site, it tells us we’ve hit on something that people really had a need for,” he said this week. Now in its second year, the site posts rules and tips for floating the river, along with information on services and current river conditions.
“[The website] has really been really a savior for us in providing that information, not only to our residents that may be familiar with how to float the Boise River, but more so with those visitors that come to town,” Holloway said.
Mid-week website traffic can even help predict how busy the river will be by the weekend, and they can use that to help staff services like trash pickup.
Trash deposited where floaters leave the river at Ann Morrison Park tells a story, too. Last year’s ‘drink of the summer,’ Holloway says, was the alcoholic seltzer White Claw. He says crews this year haven’t told him yet what the most common drink containers have been.
The number of emergency response calls on the river rose slightly this year, with 39 rescues so far, according to the Boise Fire Department. But that’s about 100 fewer rescues than summer 2022. Better messaging about river safety has helped. Ada County Parks and Waterways Director Scott Koberg said after summer 2022, they intentionally increased collaborative efforts with water managers.
“What that’s led to is consistent flows in the river,” he said, calling it better for floaters and first responders alike.
“There's a number of partners involved, including the Army Corps of Engineers and Idaho Department of Water Resources,” Koberg explained. The group started talking weekly this season. Meetings were sporadic in previous years. “We also integrate Idaho Department of Fish and Game, because when you're adjusting flows, you are affecting the habitat for fish,” he said.
Those conversations this year proved particularly important as Lucky Peak reservoir was drawn down more than usual for boat ramp maintenance. Koberg said that change was made without significantly impacting flows on the Boise River by balancing releases at both Arrowrock and Lucky Peak dams.
Flows on the Boise River this weekend will be in the 800 cfs range, about two-thirds the target rate of the start of the season. Koberg said data on rescues and historic flow rates has been used to improve overall safety. The maximum flow rate managers consider safe for novice floaters was lowered after 2022 from about 1500 cfs to 1200 cfs.
Parking has been less of an issue this season, too. Holloway said more people have been choosing to utilize the shuttle - about 45,000 riders this year, nearly one-third of total floaters - and that’s meant fewer people parking illegally in the neighborhood around Barber Park.
Floaters on Friday, August 30 should note there is no parking in Ann Morrison park all day due to the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic event.
