FLOATING REPORT
It is probably going to be a busy stretch on the Salmon and Payette rivers over the Independence Day weekend coming up, area-rafting guides said.
The Salmon River was running at just below 10,000 cubic feet per second late Tuesday afternoon, said Rachel Veseth, a guide with The Salmon River Experience.
"That makes for some big waves," Veseth said.
The lower flow means an end to the Rodeo Hole located downstream of Riggins, but it means the Gold Hole about 23 miles upstream from Riggins is now at an optimum level, she said.
"Kayakers say it is the best wave in Idaho," Veseth said. "It's pretty awesome out there now"
Anne Long, office manager at Cascade Raft & Kayak in Horseshoe Bend, reports the water on the Payette River is "fantastic right now."
Steady flows from Lake Cascade down the North Fork of the Payette River and from Deadwood Reservoir that influence the flow in the South Fork of the Payette River have made for great rafting and kayaking for commercial operations and private boaters.
Long believes the great water coinciding with the holiday will make for a busy weekend on the Payette River.
The rafting business has been trying out Hydrospeeding this year and is finding that people are really enjoying a new way to tackle the Payette.
Hydrospeeding is like a half kayak, half boogie board that makes for an intense trip down the river at water level.
Hydra-speeders are outfitted with wet suits, foot fins to steer, helmet, life jacket and hydra speeder boards and can take a two-and-a-half hour trip on the main Payette River through Class II and Class III rapids. (What is hydrospeeding?)
"They are remarkably maneuverable," Long said. "And it is more exciting when you experience the river at the water's level."
The North Fork of the Payette was running at 1,878 cfs as of late Tuesday afternoon, the main Payette at Banks was running at 3,386 cfs, The South Fork was running at 793 cfs at Grand Jean, 1,275 cfs at Canyon, 1,300 cfs at Swirly Canyon and 1,508 cfs in the lower South Fork of the Payette River.
