Water flows on Boise River set to increase

On Tuesday, flows from Lucky Peak Dam will again increase due to lower elevation precipitation and above-normal winter precipitation in the Boise River.

Flows through the city of Boise will increase from the current flow of 7,500 cubic-feet-per-second to approximately 7,625 cfs on Tuesday and to 7,750 cfs on Wednesday. These adjustments in releases from the reservoir system are necessary to help reduce the risk of increased flooding later in the spring that happens with rapidly melting snow and seasonal precipitation.

A flow rate of 7,750 cfs at the Glenwood Bridge gauge is considered above flood-stage level.

The Boise River reservoirs are at approximately 52 percent of capacity. More flow increases are possible in the coming weeks, depending on weather conditions.

At the river’s existing flow rate, a portion of the Greenbelt, on Plantation Island between Plantation Bridge and Expo Idaho, will remain closed until the river bank can be stabilized and the pathway repaired.

This closed pathway lies between Glenwood Street and Veterans Memorial Parkway, but the closure does not impact that entire section of Greenbelt.

Detours for users are in place by the bridges. This small portion of the Greenbelt on Plantation Island is owned by the Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands. The Foundation is in consultation with Ada County and city of Boise.

The Boise River has to recede before a structural evaluation can be made.

For real-time Boise River flows at reclamation facilities in the Pacific Northwest Region visit usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/rtindex/boise.html.

This story was originally published March 20, 2017 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Water flows on Boise River set to increase."