KUNA, Idaho — Indian Creek in Kuna is a popular destination for Treasure Valley floaters, and one local man is working to make it cleaner and safer.
“You can call me keeper of the creek if you want,” said Rich Kirkman with a laugh.
He started River Rich Rescue to help keep Indian Creek free of trash.
WATCH | Meet River Rich — the Keeper of Indian Creek
“I fell in love with it in 2023, fell in love with it, but I didn’t like all the trash. There was a lot of trash, like a lot of trash,” Kirkman said.
So, while floating the creek, he started filling his boat with garbage he spotted along the way. Since 2023, he says he's hauled nearly 5,000 pounds of trash out of the creek and to the dump.
“Every time I floated, it’s like, man, I can make this a fun little river for people to come float. So I decided to start naming all the rapids, making signs for them,” said Kirkman.
His handmade signs now dot the banks of Indian Creek — pointing out landmarks along the float from rapids and hideouts to drops and beaches.
“This first rapid, I named Pandora's Plunge — I thought it just fit perfect,” Kirkman said.
He also has more signs on the way, including some that aim to warn floaters of hazards.
“This creek gets hairy, it’s more like a river than a creek, and it’s dangerous,” he said.
“It devastated us all, everyone I know and met on the creek… It’s a sad situation… we don’t want it to happen again ever,” Kirkman said.
Kirkman says he has floated the creek hundreds of times and hopes to help others experience it safely.
“If you’re floating for the first time, don’t do it by yourself… I’ll take you down all the way and it’ll be the funnest trip you’ve ever had,” he said with a chuckle.
The water flow to Indian Creek will be shut off starting Tuesday. As water levels drop, Kirkman plans to remove trash and hazards ahead of next year’s float season.
