Hot weekend sees boaters swarm the Snake River, despite hot wash requirements

A hot wash requirement and inspections for watercraft entering and exiting the Snake River at Centennial Park has a small effect on the number of boats in this popular spot on the river.

• Hot washes are required for all watercraft exiting the Snake River between the Broken Bridge on Yingst Grade and Pillar Falls as a response to the discovery of invasive quagga muscle larvae.
• The river is closed to all watercraft from Pillar Falls to Twin Falls Dam.
• Waters below Broken Bridge/ Yingst Grade or above the Twin Falls Dam are open, with no hot wash requirement.

( Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)

“It's definitely busier than when I've been here before, but I've never been there on a holiday so i anticipated it,” Tanette told Idaho News 6. “We actually snuck in right as someone was pulling out so it was easy for us.”

“It seems like they're going to have to do something because it's kind of crowded,” Kelly said.

On Thursday morning i caught up with Tanette and Kelly as they were launching kayaks at Centennial Park.

As a response to the discovery of an invasive quagga muscle larvae last fall, Idaho State Department of Agriculture now has a mandatory inspection for watercraft going in or coming out of the water at Centennial.

Despite this, it remains one of the hottest spots around.

“It was easy nice guys they check to see what we have,” Kelly said. “They told us what we need to do as far as getting our tags and stuff like that and then they said that when we're done, we go back up there and they wash our craft off for us we don't have to do it. They do it for us.”

So far this year, ISDA has hot washed over twelve hundred watercraft at centennial.

Brooklyn and Camille were also getting ready to head out, they knew the watercraft checks, but it didn't stop them

“It was all right.” Brooklyn said. “Not the funnest experience, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, I guess.”

“It just takes more time on your day to get to the water. You're so eager to get the water to stop. It sucks but they're here for a reason,” Camille said.

Currently, the hot wash and inspection only applies to watercraft using the Snake between the Broken Bridge at Yingst Grade and Pillar Falls.

The river from Pillar Falls to Twin Falls Dam is closed to all watercraft.

Above or below that, the waters are open, and no stops are required.