Dear Friends & Neighbors,
Payette Land Trust (PLT) is reaching out to share an important update and to encourage your participation in an upcoming Valley County Commissioners meeting Monday, November 16th regarding the proposed changes to the Valley County Waterways Ordinance – specifically the effort by Western Whitewater Association and Idaho Recreation Council to allow motorized watercraft onto the North Fork of the Payette River above Lake Cascade. While this is not a formal hearing, it is a meaningful opportunity for community members and concerned organizations to be heard directly by the commission.
We encourage you to attend and offer brief public comment. If you are unable to attend an email to the commissioners would be encouraged and can be sent here: commissioners@valleycountyid.gov
A few key points worth emphasizing:
- Acting now on a simple, targeted amendment to the current ordinance – extending the non-motorized protection to the tributaries of Lake Cascade – is the most straightforward and immediate path forward, and it is what PLT is asking the commission to act on now.
- The broader Waterways Management Plan update process should follow that fix, not replace it or delay it.
For reference, the existing ordinance language PLT proposes amending pertains to section B, as indicated below with added words in RED:
4-5-6: ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL RULES, REGULATIONS AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC WATERWAYS IN VALLEY COUNTY:
B. North Fork Payette River, North Of Lake Cascade and navigable tributaries of Lake Cascade – No Motor Driven Vessel Area: It shall be unlawful for any person to operate, or allow to be operated, a motorized vessel at any time on the North Fork of Payette River from its confluence with Lake Cascade at Fisherman’s Bridge, upstream to the dam at the south end of Payette Lake, and navigable tributaries of Lake Cascade.
PLT holds conservation easements along the North Fork Payette River corridor, and owns property along Lake Fork Creek with long-term commitments to protecting the lands and conservation values that make these areas special. PLT supports the previous commission’s stance that all tributaries of Lake Cascade should have been included in the non-motorized designation and were not included as an oversight.
Meeting Details
Monday, Nov 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Valley County Courthouse
219 N Main St., Cascade, ID
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.
Thank you for your continued partnership in protecting the North Fork Payette River, Lake Fork Creek and Gold Fork Creek corridors and the rural values that make Valley County what it is.
Warm regards,
Matthew Ganz
Chair, Public Affairs Committee
Payette Land Trust