PSA: The creek behind my house in Boise dried up for the first time in 30 years

I've lived here since 1995 and that creek always had water, even in summer. This year, it was completely dry by early July. The city said our area got 60% less snowpack last winter, so there was nothing to feed it. It's a small thing, but it shows how local water sources are getting hit hard. Has anyone else seen a local water spot disappear this fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugow302mo ago

Check if the city has any data on the creek's water levels over the past few decades.

cooper.viola2mo ago

My local park service put out a report last year showing our river's average depth dropped by almost two feet since the 90s. It's wild how we all talk about big climate stuff but miss the slow changes right in our own backyards. Getting that creek data is smart because it turns a vague worry into hard numbers you can point to. I've seen too many local issues get ignored until there's a crisis, like a road washing out or a well going dry. Concrete records are the only thing that cuts through the talk and gets actual fixes started.

leet321mo ago

Man, that really hits close to home. Two feet is a huge drop when you think about how much water that actually is over the whole river. I've got a similar thing happening near my place, the little stream behind the old mill has gone from a nice little flow to barely a trickle in the summer months. Nobody seems to care until someone's boat gets stuck or the fish start dying off. You're right that those hard numbers are the only thing that gets people to actually pay attention, it's frustrating how much stuff just gets ignored until it's a full blown emergency.