Flooding closes parts of Greenbelt, Ada County signs disaster declaration

Ongoing flooding on the Boise River has led Ada County commissioners to declare a state of disaster.

The flooding also closed the Greenbelt’s tunnel underneath 9th Street on the south side of the river. A detour is in place that re-routes cyclists and pedestrians through the Royal Boulevard extension.

A Flood Disaster Emergency Declaration was signed Monday by Chairman Dave Case, of the Board of Ada County Commissioners, to authorize emergency actions and ease purchasing and restrictions regarding the mandated requirement of seeking competitive bids during this state of emergency. The declaration expires in one week unless the commissioners expressly continue it.

The following sections of the Greenbelt are also closed by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department as a result of flooding:

• Under the Parkcenter Bridge at Logger Creek
• The entire Bethine Church River Trail
• A section of Greenbelt and a gravel nature path near Marianne Williams Park between East Parkcenter Boulevard and South Eckert Road.
• A section of Greenbelt near Marianne Williams Park at the bridge over Walling Creek, which is south of East Warm Springs Avenue.
• The boardwalk under the Capitol Boulevard Bridge on the south side of the Greenbelt.
• A section of Greenbelt from Main Street tunnel to Trestle Bridge on north side of the Greenbelt.

Flooding along the Boise River is not uncommon in the spring, according to a news release from the city. While the current flows of around 8,000 cubic feet per second are high for this time of year, records show the river was flowing at a similar rate as recently as spring 2012.

As high water conditions persist on the Boise River this spring, a city team will continue to monitor the situation for public safety and property concerns on a daily basis.

This story was originally published March 27, 2017 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Flooding closes parts of Greenbelt, Ada County signs disaster declaration."