Team STREAM Reflects on their Boise River: Source to Snake Journey
By Melissa O’Berto (College of Idaho, B.S. 2019)
Boise River Hopes: “My hope for the Boise River is that we can began to realize the importance of rivers and the degree to which the natural world influences our everyday lives and that we are collectively inspired to take actions which mitigate the negative effects society has inflicted on the Boise River system. “
This past summer, I got the opportunity to embark on a backpacking and water testing adventure from Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains to Atlanta, Idaho, and from there, down the length of the Boise River to Martin’s Landing. This opportunity was presented to me by one of my professors at the College of Idaho, and being an adventurous person with a passion for science and bringing environmental awareness to others, the Boise River: Source to Snake project created by Idaho Business for the Outdoors, immediately sparked my interest. My role in the project was to measure dissolved oxygen, phosphate, nitrate, water temperature, conductivity, PH, BOD, and e-coli as a member of team STREAM. Over the course of the journey with team STREAM, I backpacked thirty-six miles, gathered and conducted water quality tests at fourteen locations along the Boise River.
Before our backpacking trip, began I had very little idea of what the backpacking adventure would hold. I attended the Boise River: Source to Snake Launch Party and was shocked at the amount of people who were involved in this project; it had a much larger outreach than I had originally expected. It was a neat opportunity to be involved in a movement so much greater than myself.
This would be my first backing trip without my dad there to carry my heavy gear and tell me what to do so I was a little apprehensive before the start of the four day backpack. However, our journey from Redfish to Martin’s Landing was accompanied with many views, learning experiences, and surprises. I learned a lot about how to keep my stuff dry from the rain, how to walk with a forty-five pound pack on my back, and how to choose the perfect Mountain House meal. The trip was amazing and I made memories that will last a lifetime.
Natalie Little, Melissa O’Berto of Team STREAM and Dick Jordan
While we were in the Sawtooth Wilderness, we tested water quality at five locations. Our first stop was at the blue, almost tropical, looking waters of Redfish Lake. We completed three tests on the lake, at the dock, inlet, and center of the lake. In the middle of our backpacking trip, we spent the night at Spangle Lake, the headwaters of the Boise River system. The crystal clear water was refreshing to the touch and it was assuring to see that the water in the Boise River at least started out clean. Before emerging at Atlanta, we tested the waters of Mattingly Creek, a tributary to the middle fork of the Boise. On our way out, we took water samples at Willow Creek Campground and directly above the town of Atlanta. All of these locations were extremely beautiful and ideal places to complete water quality testing. The water looked refreshing and we were constantly tempted to go for a swim.
In the two days following our backpack, team STREAM performed water quality index test at eight locations in the Treasure Valley, from Discovery Park to Martin’s Landing. From Discovery Park to Landing Lane, the appearance of the river was par for the course. The water clarity was not so pristine to where you would make a comment on it but it was not so dirty to where you would hesitate before taking a dip. When we arrived in Caldwell, at the Whittenburger Park testing site, the water quality took a visual turn for the worst. The results of our nine water quality test echoed these sentiments. At this point, the river seemed to evolve from a system celebrated and used for a variety of recreational purposes to a way to move dirty, polluted water from point A to point B without anyone noticing it was there. Although the river was wider, it seemed to take up less space. The following two collection sites at Notus Bridge and Martin’s Landing reinforced these notions. By the time we arrived at Martin’s Landing, it appeared that the water from the Boise River was more turbid than the waters of the Snake River, of which it was entering. The water was very green and there were a lot of algae and plants growing in it. As we moved downstream, we grew increasingly wary about getting wet during our water tests.
By completing water quality test along the entirety of the Boise River, I learned that once the river leaves the public eye, it is out of sight and out of mind of the majority of residents of the Treasure Valley. If the conditions near Barber Park or in Eagle were as degraded as downstream conditions, citizens would take action and notice. Because the polluted sections of the river are not routinely noticed by members of the community, the effects of these sections on the river system go unnoticed. It is critical that we pay attention to the river system in its entirety so that we can ensure swimmable, drinkable, and fishable waters for generations to come.
By Natalie Little
My name is Natalie Little and I’m from Eagle, Idaho. I’m heading into my senior year at The College of Idaho, where I’m studying Biomedical Sciences. While my focus in the field of biology is not exactly on the ecosystem – it’s on human health and medicine – I adore nature and delight in any chance I have to spend time in the outdoors. I got connected with Idaho Business for the Outdoors’ Boise River: Source to Snake project through one of my professors, Chris Walser, who asked if my friend Melissa O’Berto and I might be interested. When I heard backpacking through the Sawtooths was involved, I committed!
Natalie Little and her mother
Before the Boise River: Source to Snake wildnerness journey to the Sawtooths began, I went to a water testing workshop at Heather Dermott’s house to learn how to run the nine testing protocols. Being a person who would rather watch a live surgery than check for minerals and bacteria in a body of water, I wasn’t sure what I was in for, but was ready to be a part of a project bigger than myself. However, upon arriving at her house and meeting some of the other members of the team, I knew I was in for an exciting journey. While I was expecting a group of people who had boring, ‘teacher-like’ demeanors, they were upbeat and humorous, cracking jokes at every possible opportunity. After this meeting I knew I would have fun during our water quality project.
To start the journey, we all drove up to Hailey, Idaho, and stayed there for a night. The next day our journey began, and we headed to Redfish Lake where Christopher Swain would begin his his swim. Testing the water there was very chilly – it was breezy and rained for part of our boat ride across Redfish Lake – but it was great to see how clear all of the tests showed up. Our eyes alone could let us on about the health of the lake as it was clear enough to see the bottom in depths of about 15 feet.
After Redfish Lake, our hiking and backpacking began, where we walked 36 miles down to Atlanta, Idaho. We tested three locations and camped three nights along our expedition, but the highlight was spending time in Idaho’s incredible wilderness with Dick, Doug, Melissa, Christopher, and Andy. Walking through the Sawtooth Mountains was breathtaking, and even later, as I write this, I’m almost in disbelief that I laid my own eyes upon such beauty. The trip was such a fun experience, and I’m grateful to have done it with such good people.
Even down past Atlanta and into Willow Creek, the water was amazingly clear. However, as we neared the Boise valley, it became more cloudy and the tests started confirming this. The first time we were really taken aback was in Caldwell – the water was murky and phosphates were present for the first time in our testing data. While it was sort of cool to see the change in our test results, we were disappointed to find the quality of the river declining. This only continued farther on down the river. It was hot out, but jumping in the river didn’t even cross our minds, as it would have farther upstream, because of the dirtiness of the water.
I grew up with the Boise River literally right outside of my backyard. However, I hadn’t really put much thought into the health of the river and the actions our community could take to make it better. Doing this project prompted me to think about the quality of our river and to realize that I really do hope the quality Boise River only improves. As a kid I spent a lot of time in the river – tubing, swimming, and catching crawfish. These are some of the fondest memories of my childhood, and I don’t want my children and grandchildren to miss out on having their own at-home crawfish boil simply because they could not see them at bottom of three-foot deep riverbed.