The Boise River calmed some over the weekend, but water managers are now preparing for a big flow increase this week.
On Tuesday, flows are at about 8,000 cubic feet per second, but the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say they expect flows to increase a lot over the next few days.
The flow increases are contingent on the completion of work currently underway to reinforce the Boise River bank along the Sun Roc Gravel Pit in the Eagle area. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finishing a four-foot tall levee that will run 4,300 feet along the embankment. That work is expected to be done sometime Tuesday.
If the Corps of Engineers finishes the work Monday, starting Tuesday water flows will increase from Lucky Peak Dam.
This is because of what is being labeled as extreme mountain snowpack that is melting and now draining into the Boise River.
These conditions have resulted in significantly less flood control space in the Boise River reservoirs forcing water managers to release more and more water.
By Wednesday, flows will increase to 8,300 cfs, and could get fatser by Thursday.
Most of the Greenbelt remains closed. The only areas still open are along the Willow Lane complex, the section along Boise State at the Friendship Bridge, and from the Marden parking lot all the way to Lucky Peak.
Water managers and city leaders ask that everyone stay away from the Boise River.