BOISE -- It was a beautiful day on Thursday, perfect for walking along the Boise River. But recreation managers are reminding people that right now, while the river isn't flooding, it's still deep, fast, cold, and dangerous.
Phillip Elle, like many people on Thursday, was out enjoying the beautiful weather.
"Just walking on the Greenbelt with the girls," said Elle. "We're going to go see the horses over at the racetrack. And looking at the high water on the river."
But also like many people, Phillip ran into closed sections of the Greenbelt. With the Boise River at or just below flood stage, many pathways are underwater.
"We close the paths in the interest of public safety and we really urge people to follow the detours," said Amy Stahl with Boise Parks and Recreation.
The river is expected to stay at about this level for the next week or two. And the Greenbelt is being closely monitored for flooding on a daily basis.
Stahl says the closer you get to the river the more cautious you need to be right now with a danger of the banks collapsing.
"The riverbank itself can become undercut by the river and that destabilizes the bank," said Stahl. "So if you're on the edge, even if you're elevated above the river, there is a potential for some destabilization. So it becomes an unsafe situation."
Idaho Department of Fish and Game is not stocking the river with trout right now, partially to keep anglers away. Fire and police say there's no reason for you or your pets to be in the river right now -- to fish, float, or play. They say the river's too fast, too deep, too cold, too full of debris, and just too dangerous.
"Cold, fast-moving water is always a concern and our objective is to protect people using the Greenbelt," said Stahl.
If you want to check river levels for yourself before you go out, or check on which parts of the Greenbelt might be closed, go to
There is one section of the Greenbelt that reopened Thursday following construction. It runs from Main Street to 36th along the new whitewater park.
