BOISE, Idaho — Surfers and kayakers have been able to shred the expert whitewater wave for about two weeks now. Idaho is a landlocked state, but that doesn’t stop people from surfing on the Boise River.
“I lived in Hawaii for a while so I got to surf waves there, it’s not like going and surfing in the ocean,” said Garrett Kerr, one of around a dozen surfers at the wave. “This is very fast, you can definitely get some good carves and bottom turns.”
The wave has been open for two weeks now, but wave technicians from the Boise Parks and Recreation Department need to monitor the conditions during a session. The Boise river is flowing around 1,500 cubic feet per second.
“This is hands down our favorite flow, it is about double what we can run it at at the low end later in the summer,” said Paul Primus, a wave tech with parks and rec. “The performance is unbelievable and we have seen some seriously good surfing out here, it has been really exciting and a lot more people are coming out so we have added evening sessions.”
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Sessions run from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday and on Tuesday and Saturday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. People can stay up to date using the Rainout Line App.
Boise Parks and Recreation has a wave tech for every session because if conditions change it can make the hydraulic behind the large green wave dangerous.
“If we get a big flow change in the river like 100 or 200 cfs, that can actually crash the green wave itself and become extremely retentive to a high hazard point we wouldn’t like to see,” said Primus. “However, if we have it as this setting currently with stable flows and we can monitor the pools, it’s an unbelievably good wave with a low hazard situation with all of us here to help each other at this very high intensity wave.”
Phase two of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation Whitewater Park opened in 2019. It includes three features and it is a park within a park at Esther Simplot Park. However, the expert wave has never been dialed in, leading to a lawsuit between the designer and the city.
The City of Boise hired the firm that built phase one to come in and try to open the expert wave all the time. However, they weren’t able to do the work last winter because of all the snow in January and water releasing earlier then normal because all the reservoirs were full. The plans include continuing work next winter.
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Phase two also acts as a diversion dam for the Farmer’s Union Canal to make sure they get their allotment of water. That is actually the number one priority for the feature, it is also used for flood mitigation and for recreation.
Surfers and kayakers can expect long lines at both phase one and phase two this summer. Garrett Kerr told us there is an unwritten rule of etiquette to keep the lines moving as river surfing has become very popular in Boise.
“You get up and you are cruising for a little bit and then you got to try to do some moves, some turns and maybe some tricks,” said Kerr. “That way your turn ends and the next guy can go.”
Surfers should not use leashes at the expert whitewater wave, everyone there had wetsuits as the Boise River is still really cold and for surfers wanting to work up to the expert wave, phase one is an excellent spot to practice.
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The rotunda as seen on March 16, 2026, at the Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise. (Photo by Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun)
Ahead of the 2026 primary elections, the League of Women Voters of Idaho is teaming up with several local groups to hold candidate forums and voter education events in the hopes of boosting voter turnout.
The groups invited all candidates for public office in Ada and Canyon County’s commissions, and inlegislative district 11, which is in Canyon County.
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The groups that are hosting include Mormon Women for Ethical Government, the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of University Women’s Boise branch and the College of Idaho’s Masters of Applied Public Policy Program.
Here’s when and where the forums are:
Ada County Commissioner District 2:7-8:30 p.m. April 24 at Meridian City Hall, located at 33 E. Broadway Ave. in Meridian.
Ada County Commissioner District 1:7-8:30 p.m. April 28 at Valley View Elementary School, located at 3555 N Milwaukee St. in Boise.
Legislative District 11:6:30-8:30 p.m. April 30 at Caldwell City Hall, located at 205 S. 6th Ave. in Caldwell.
Canyon County Commissioner:6-8 p.m. May 7 at Caldwell City Hall, 205 S. 6th Ave. in Caldwell.
Learn more about candidates at the League of Women Voters’ online voter guide,VOTE411.ORG.
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BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho drivers wanting to celebrate America’s anniversary this year now have a unique way to do that. The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles has released an America 250 license plate to mark the occasion.
The new license plate includes an American flag on a blue background with the words “America 250” and the dates “1776 – 2026.”
The plate requires an extra fee that will go toward supporting the Idaho Heritage Trust, according to an Idaho Transportation Department news release. The specific fee wasn’t listed.
“This plate gives Idahoans a chance to mark a historic milestone and show their pride on the road,” said Lisa McClellan, DMV administrator, in a statement. “We’re proud to offer a design that honors our country’s past while supporting Idaho’s efforts to preserve its own history.”
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The America 250 license plate was released to celebrate a historic national milestone. | Idaho Transportation Department
Idaho’s favorite license plate
The new license plate may give Idaho’s favorite a run for its money.
The Idaho Transportation Department recently held a “Battle of the Plates” vote to find out which license plate Idahoans loved best.
The Forests Forever plate was crowned the champion on April 7. Funds generated from this plate go toward Idaho replanting and reforestation projects, as well as environmental education programs for Idaho students and teachers.
“One of Idaho’s newest plates, Forests Forever made a strong run and came out on top, highlighting just how much Idahoans value our forests and natural resources,” the transportation department said in a social media post.
Idahoans chose Forests Forever as their favorite specialty license plate. | Idaho Transportation Department
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