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Surfers share Boise River with resident fish

Fish ladder allows trout to bypass new whitewater features
Posted at 5:47 AM, Sep 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-25 07:47:14-04

BOISE, IDAHO — The new features at Boise's Whitewater Park are great for surfers and kayakers, but what about the fish that live in that area?

The city addressed fish migration with a small fish ladder that allows migrating trout and other species to make it past the new structures.

Fish managers say including passage ways for fish in projects like this will improve the overall health of the Boise River.

"We just hope moving forward, anytime we're gonna put a barrier in the river and do these sorts of developments we can include fish passage because that leads to a healthy fish population over time," said Regional Fisheries Manager John Cassinelli. "And so that's definitely a benefit to the fish population and it's something we encourage."

Other projects are underway that could potentially improve spawning habitat and fish rearing habitat in the Boise River.

One of those will also add to the scenery at Julia Davis Park.

For more on that, tune in to Idaho Back Roads tonight at five, six and ten.