Ready for summer float season, Boise? Here’s how soon you can head down the river
Thursday was the first official day of summer, but Boise and Ada County officials used June 20 to announce the season’s “unofficial start”: June 27 will kick off float season on the Boise River.
Officials were waiting on certain river conditions before announcing the start of the annual tradition, which sees about 150,000 people float from Barber Park to Ann Morrison Park each year. As water levels drop, the Boise Fire Department’s Dive Rescue team is able to find and remove debris and other hazards that are just below the surface.
Mark Niemeyer, chief of the Boise Fire Department, urged floaters to use caution even when the river is “open” for activity next Thursday.
“If you want a lazy river, Roaring Springs is your place,” he said. “But this is a wild river. It’s still moving fast, even though we say it’s safe to float.”
Scott Koberg, Ada County’s director of Parks and Waterways, added that participants always “float at your own risk” and emphasized that only the 6 miles of the river designated for floating “get a little bit of extra attention” from the Boise Fire Department.
Officials offered other safety tips:
Wear life jackets and river-worthy shoes.
Avoid tying floating tubes together, which can make it harder to extricate from debris.
Wear sun protection, including hats and sunscreen.
Ada County Commissioner Ryan Davidson reminded floaters to use durable devices.
“While those floating unicorns look really fun, they’re not equipped to navigate a wild river,” he advised.
Prospective floaters can find safety checklists and more information at floattheboise.org.
As for next week’s weather forecast? Summer’s heat is on the way, but remember that the river remains cold, making those 90-plus days good to be on the water. The high temperature for June 27 is expected to be 89, and next weekend’s temps are forecast to be in the high 80s and low 90s.
Temperatures are expected to be in the 100s this weekend, just missing the start of float season.
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