Plan To Cut Trees Along River Draws Fire Flood Control District’s Removal Effort Called Extreme
Suzie Petet does not mind if the flood control district wants to remove some of the tall cottonwoods that line the river next to her home near Eagle.
The issue for her, fishermen and conservationists is how many.
The Idaho Water Resources Department is studying Flood Control District 10’s permit application to cut live cottonwoods, willows and maples along a 32-mile stretch of the Boise River from Garden City to Caldwell.
When the trees die and fall into the river, they can clog the channel and cause flooding.
“Some of them need to be cut down,” Petet said. “But they need to leave some so the birds have a place to nest. There are some that have been there since I was a kid.”
The district wants to remove all cottonwoods leaning 10 degrees or more over the river, and willows and maples leaning 45 degrees or more. If the trees fall in in high water, removal would cost about $500 a tree, said project manager LaRue Bevington.
“If you carry that to its worst-case scenario, you’re talking about removing a whole lot of trees for questionable benefits,” Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologist Scott Grunder said.
“Someone has to show me empirical evidence that live trees cause a worsening of flood conditions,” he said.
The flood district says it cannot afford annual clearing projects on its $30,000 annual budget. Only through preventive action can it afford to avoid dangerous floods, Bevington said.
“I put more value on human life,” he said.
Bevington grew up on the river. He does not want to destroy it, but he worries how some of the “powerful” people with posh riverside homes will react if they are hit by a flood.
“If they start getting hurt, they’re going to want to channelize the river like they did the Portneuf in Pocatello,” he said. The last time the district wanted to cut trees - in 1993 - it prompted an uproar.
The issue was resolved in a compromise that Irv Ballou of Water Resources hopes to negotiate again.