Poll: Should Ada County turn on Barber Park air stations for Boise River float season?
The Ada County Parks and Waterways Department announced when the Boise River float season started in mid-June that its customary air stations at the Barber Park put-in area would not be turned on this year in an effort to eliminate traffic and other conflicts.
The announcement was met on social media with criticism. Many commenters asked the county to reconsider its decision, while others accused the department of trying to make money by forcing floaters to rent its equipment (the rentals are operated by a private company that contracts with the county).
Officials said the decision was made after a trial run last year appeared to make operations at Barber Park flow more smoothly.
“In prior years when park staff turned on the noisy garage compressor and the air stations were running it would essentially encourage pumpless floaters all day to queue up in one of several long lines for up to 45 minutes to inflate their equipment,” the department’s statement read. “During 2020, instead of a crowded pile-up of people on the hot, shadeless beach during the busiest days of summer, visitors were spread throughout the many shady, grassy areas of Barber Park with their own rafts, tubes, and pumps quickly and efficiently inflating their own equipment prior to launch.”
With traffic ever-increasing at Barber Park, Parks and Waterways director Scott Koberg told the Statesman that air station lines were keeping visitors — and their vehicles — at the park longer, increasing congestion.
In addition, officials said, crowds at air stations obstructed restrooms and an ADA accessibility ramp. The air hoses also ate up employee time and sparked conflicts over use.
But two weeks into the float season, the decision continues to be a controversial one. Commenters on a Statesman Facebook post for a story about other problems again criticized the decision.
Koberg said he doesn’t see a future for the air stations despite the complaints. What do you think the county should do at Barber Park? Vote in our reader survey above. If you can’t see it, follow this link to the poll.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 4:07 PM.
