‘Potentially deadly situation’ on Idaho river: Fallen tree blocks South Fork of Payette
A fallen tree is blocking the entire width of the Payette River’s South Fork, forcing rafting companies to alter their trips ahead of the holiday weekend.
The tree fell about 100 yards from where the North and South forks meet near Banks, said Kenneth Long, river manager at Cascade Raft and Kayak. The Boise County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it fell Thursday night.
“It is very difficult to see the down tree as it is around a bend in the river at the bottom of some difficult rapids,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the post. “This is a potentially deadly situation for anyone who floats down the river at that section.”
The tree fell where the river runs adjacent to Idaho 17 just east of Idaho 55. It is near the bottom of a rapid on the South Fork of the Payette called Slalom, Long said.
Rafting companies are still going out on the Payette’s South Fork, Long said, but they are getting out before the last rapid. It cuts less than a mile off the Cascade Raft and Kayak trip.
Crews are at the site working on removing the tree, Long said. He estimates that about 15 to 20 people were there Friday afternoon. Still, it will take at least a couple of days to remove it, the Boise County Sheriff’s Office said.
This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 12:59 PM.
