A formal proposal for updated boating rules in Valley County is expected this fall, the Valley County Waterways Advisory Committee was told earlier this month.
Most of the committee’s Aug. 5 meeting was spent discussing potential changes to a county law that sets no-wake zones, motorized restrictions, and other rules for major waterways, including Payette Lake, Lake Cascade, and Warm Lake.
The county commissioners initiated the review earlier this year after receiving a request from a boating group to open the North Fork of the Payette River to motorized use up to Payette Lake.
“I immediately got an email from our county commissioners that said they would like to change the ordinance to not only strengthen that portion of it, but also to include the tributaries of Lake Cascade,” Valley County Recreation Director Dave Bingaman said.
That would mean new motorized use restrictions on some arms of Lake Cascade that are currently unregulated, including Gold Fork, Lake Fork, Mud Creek, and Boulder Creek.
Bingaman has not yet developed a proposal, but expects to present one this fall based on the county’s desires and the committee’s comments. His goal is to have updated rules in place by next spring.
Public comments will be taken this fall as part of public hearings the county is required to hold before the changes can be adopted.
Western Whitewater proposal
In May, a powerboating group known as the Western Whitewater Association contacted the county asking about the process to reopen the North Fork to motorized use between the Tamarack Falls Fishing Bridge and Payette Lake.
“I’m not certain of the process involved here, but would like to at least get that ball rolling,” Western Whitewater Vice President Shawn Schnitker said in an email to county officials.
Currently, the North Fork is closed to motorized use at Tamarack Falls, which is near Donnelly, up to Payette Lake. It is also closed to motorized use north of Payette Lake.
Schnitker told Valley Lookout that the group would like to see the North Fork opened to boaters above Tamarack Falls from April 1 to July 1.
“The reality is there are only about 15 people that will even run this section on a mini boat,” he said. “We aren’t asking for a freeway to be created on the river.”
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Public benefits of opening the North Fork to min-jet boats include increased maintenance and brush removal, along with improved emergency response capabilities, Schnitker said.
Public complaints, safety risk concern county
Valley County has received complaints about boaters violating the current motorized closure, while Bingaman expressed concerns that opening the river to further motorized use could create a safety hazard for other users.
“We’ve got drift boats, we’ve got rafts, we’ve got kayaks, paddle boards, tubers, fishermen, and everybody else,” he said. “So it’s a very crowded section of river.”
Jally Zeydel, who chairs the county’s waterways advisory committee, echoed Bingaman’s concern while noting a litany of obstacles, like downed trees, along the stretch of river.
“I can see that becoming a problem too,” Zeydel said. “I’ve gone down that river and it gets hairy. It’s not an easy place to go up and down.”
Bingaman said Western Whitewater’s request coincides with increased complaints about powerboating in general, particularly in the unregulated arms of Lake Cascade.
The mini-jet boats have drawn complaints from property owners along the river as well as other users. Safety, water quality, and noise are among the common complaints Bingaman receives.
“From what I have heard, the noise is the single largest complaint,” he said. “These boats are very loud. Most of them are turbo charged.”
Compromise remains an option
Still, Bingaman expressed a willingness to compromise on potential new motorized use restrictions.
One idea was for the tributaries or parts of the North Fork to only be open for motorized use during certain days or time periods, which could lower the risk of conflicts between boaters and other users.
“There are windows of opportunity where we might be able to work together on alternating days or certain periods of time where we could get (boaters) in there,” Bingaman said.
Meanwhile, mufflers could be required on boats that exceed decibel limits set by state law.
“I know that affects performance, but that’s also something that I think would go a long way towards improving public opinion of what’s happening,” Bingaman said.
Fish and Game proposal
The county is also considering a request from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to allow the use of electric trolling motors north of the Tamarack Falls Fishing Bridge.
Regional Fisheries Manager Jordan Messner floated several potential new boundaries, but said he is mainly hoping to increase angler access to the northernmost part of Lake Cascade.
“I believe it would still accomplish the same intent of the current ordinance of non-motorized up there,” Messner said. “It would just allow anglers that want to get up there and fish for mainly large-mouth and small-mouth bass in the springtime, when that whole arm is inundated.”
The current waterways rules were adopted in 2020 by Valley County after a lengthy process that spanned multiple years.
The rules established a 300-foot no-wake zone for much of Payette Lake and Lake Cascade. Motorized use was also banned on the North Fork between Lake Cascade and Payette Lake and above Payette Lake.
The county first adopted waterways rules in 2007, but later discovered a procedural error that rendered the rules void and unenforceable.
