Barber Park's raft rental shop is normally open by now, but the cool, wet spring has delayed the popular summer recreation of floating the Boise River.

This year is one of the latest openings ever; the rental shop typically opens June 18 to 23.

Connie Zeller, owner of Epley's Boise Raft & Tube Rental, says she's been getting a lot of calls from people who want to know why the rental shop at Barber Park isn't open yet. Epley's has the contract to run the raft rentals at Barber Park.

"They're not happy that it's hot, and they can't float," Zeller said.

It's legal to float the Boise River year-round, but Barber Park's raft rental shop doesn't open until local officials consider it safe.

Over the past week, the river has been running at more than double what's considered a safe floating level.

The river was running at about 1,700 cubic feet per second at Glenwood Bridge when Barber Park opened last year, Zeller said. The river is running was running at about 3,900 cfs early Monday, but water managers cut releases by 500 cfs, said Brian Sauer, hydraulic engineer at the Snake River Area Office of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. He said they plan to cut releases by another 1,000 cfs on Tuesday, and another 500 cfs later in the week.

It's unclear if they will be able to bring the river down to a safe floating level by the weekend.

"It's a game-day decision. It's sort of a tough call. We're right on the edge of being able to drop the river that far," Sauer said. "It's going to depend on what the inflows do - how much water comes in."

Sauer said the Boise River reservoir system - Lucky Peak, Arrowrock and Anderson Ranch reservoirs - is at 96 percent capacity on Monday.

Sauer said you might have to go back as far as 1982 to find a cold, wet spring on par with this year.

"That year the (Boise River) flows didn't get below 2,000 (cfs) until mid-to late July," Sauer said.

Zeller said she wants the public to know that once the Barber Park raft rental shop opens for the summer, the shuttle service will be operating regardless of what events are occurring at Ann Morrison Park. The shuttles will continue during the Boise Music Festival, which is Saturday, July 23.

"Last year people thought if there's stuff going on in Ann Morrison, then it's shut down," Zeller said.

Katy Moeller: 377-6413