ALERT: Centennial Park Boat Ramp Closed

The motorized ramp is closed until further notice.  The Twin Falls County Commission announced the closure would begin the morning of July 31^st, due to concerns that the launch had been damaged.  The closure won’t impact non-motorized watercraft, such as paddle boards, canoes, and kayaks.  The Commission promises that the public will be kept up to date on progress and on the date when the motorized launch will reopen.

Engineers Will Decide About the Safety and Soon

Some of you may recall that a couple of weeks ago, a pickup truck sank as the driver attempted to back a boat into the river.  The truck was almost totally submerged, and a tow truck was summoned to pull the truck from the water.  The Commission doesn’t say if that was related to the possible damage.

A Lot of People are Going to Be Disappointed

Centennial Park is one of the busiest waterways in southern Idaho.  Boaters use it for river access year-round.  Fishermen especially use the motorized launch, and will in some cases have to consider alternatives.  The river is often so thick with traffic that a running joke is you could walk from the south side to the north side across the boats.

Not All the News is Bad this Season

There is some good news along the same stretch of river this summer.  To date, no sign of quagga mussels has been detected.  However, boaters are still required to use the hot wash station as a precaution.  Vigilance is required.