Snake and Boise Rivers: Clean?

[Carlyee3]

Lots of people use the Boise River for rafting this time of year and swimming on the gravel bars, like in Eagle. Seems clean enough. I know they don't route the Sewage outfalls into the river, but as in any metro area, the bacteria level may get high when flows decrease towards the end of summer. Otherwise the river is cool to cold and and used heavily by swimmers and sunbathers.

BTW, I spent 30 years in Humboldt County when I was working.

[lodgers]

I'm looking for the same thing, a good river to swim in and dive off rocks into the river where I can see past 5 feet deep. I grew up diving into the Yuba river, you can see this river on video of the Downieville river jump
River jump - YouTube I don't mind 65 degree temps now, I used to be able to take 55+ but no more :-). Any good campgrounds near good swimming/diving off rock areas on either the Payette or Boise? Hope you enjoy the video, I miss my rivers in the Sierra's like this, but CA has lost it.

[Griffman]

http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Po.../FishGuide.pdf

[Lacerta]

Originally Posted by Carlyee3

Lots of people use the Boise River for rafting this time of year and swimming on the gravel bars, like in Eagle. Seems clean enough. I know they don't route the Sewage outfalls into the river, but as in any metro area, the bacteria level may get high when flows decrease towards the end of summer. Otherwise the river is cool to cold and and used heavily by swimmers and sunbathers.

BTW, I spent 30 years in Humboldt County when I was working.

My sister works for the water quality department at City of Meridian. I was talking to her the other day and she said that when they do their quality tests in the river both above and below where the treated sewer water dumps into the river (something they do regularly), it is actually consistently cleaner downstream. (It does go into one of the rivers, but I'm sorry, I don't know which one or where). The water from the water treatment plant is so clean that it actually dilutes any pollutants in the water. So water from the city water treatment plants should be the least of your worries. Ducks and fish pooping directly in the river contaminate it more than the treatment plant does.

And the section of the Boise river that is most popular is floated in tubes and boats by hundreds or even thousands a day in the peak of summer. It always seemed pretty clean to me. There are a few popular rope swing or rock jumping spots along that section.