HEYBURN, Idaho - Effective immediately, the Bureau of Reclamation has restricted the boat ramp below Minidoka Dam to official use only due to the poor condition of the ramp and public safety concerns. The boat ramp is located below Minidoka Dam on the Snake River about 12 miles northeast of Rupert, Idaho.
Reclamation's decision is due to the unsafe nature of the boat ramp. It is steep and does not drain well, making the ramp challenging to use safely. Combined with the strong river current, launching or loading boats is very difficult and unsafe.
Signs will be posted on the ramp, restricting use to Reclamation and emergency responders only. The boat ramp is the closest and most frequently used access for river emergencies immediately below the dam. The public has access to the river at four points downstream from ramps in Burley and Heyburn, Idaho. The boat dock below Minidoka Dam will remain open for fishing access and birding.
Minidoka Dam was completed in 1907 as part of the Minidoka Project, and is operated as one of six storage facilities on the Snake and Henrys Fork rivers. The multipurpose project provides irrigation, power production, flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
