Idaho Rivers United: A First Look

I have a feeling I'll be hearing more about Idaho Rivers United from here on. The city hall for Garden City is off Glenwood on Marigold. I think the best way to get there is from the Eagle exchange on the freeway, definitely not from downtown Boise!

Susan Stacy, the author of When the River Rises, was present and received accolades for her book about the history of the Boise River. In 1962-63, the river was so polluted that it smelled bad. Really bad. The cheapest homes were by the river, and nobody wanted to live there.

The Clean Water Act was first known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and was established in 1948. With various amendments, in 1966 it became The Clean Water Pollution Control Act, and in 1977 it became the Clean Water Act (CWA). (For a brief look at the history of the CWA, go to the Website maintained by The Bureau of Land Management.)

Some points I learned:

• Storm water runoff is also ruled by the permit process.
  
• Run a pipe into the river, and it is covered by discharge permit rules.
• The Boise River in and near the city supports more recreation any other river space in the state.
• Because of scant water flows, the black cottonwood is being replaced in the Boise River by the silver maple, an import from New England.
• The black cottonwood supports nesting birds because it has strong roots and stays upright when it dies or is blown over.
• The silver maple falls over into the river and doesn't encourage nesting.
• The result of the above two points: Less black cottonwood means a lower bird population as well as fewer insects to provide food for the birds and small animals along the river.
• Elected officials are much easier to reach and talk to about your water concerns than are business owners. That's their job.
• Just point out what is happening and why and ask a simple question: "This is the road we're going down. Are you sure it's the one you want to take?"

I signed up as a potential volunteer. I suspect I'll hear from them again.