BOISE - For the first time since early March, the Boise River will drop below flood stage on Thursday, water managers announced.
The Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to decrease flows from Lucky Peak Dam by 500 cubic feet per second.
That would bring the flows measured at the Glenwood Bridge down to 6,750 cfs. A flow rate of 7,000 cfs is considered flood-stage level.
Managers have reduced the flow rate dramatically over the last few days. Just last week, the river was flowing at 9,600 cfs at the Glenwood gauge.
Officials say the decrease is a result of reduced runoff from the mountains flowing into the three reservoirs that feed the Boise River system. Those reservoirs are at about 95 percent of capacity, managers said.
Despite the lowering levels, people are still urged to stay away from the river for safety reasons. The water is cold and moving fast, and many sections of the Greenbelt remain closed.
