Milner Whitewater Information

The Milner Hydroelectric Project is on a portion of the Snake River popular with kayakers, whitewater rafters, and boaters. View trail map.

Built in the early 1900s, Milner Dam started as an irrigation structure. Idaho Power and Milner Dam, Inc. improved the dam and added a hydroelectric power plant in 1992.

Park Facilities

Day-use facilities along the reservoir include:

Fire pits
Boat docks
Boat ramps
Picnic tables
Vault toilets
Interpretive exhibits

In commitment to a healthy environment, Idaho Power and Milner Dam Inc., stock the reservoir with thousands of 6- to 8-inch channel catfish each year.

Recreational Flows

Under the terms of its federal license to operate the power plant, Idaho Power is required to provide recreational flows annually for four weekend days, including the Memorial Day holiday. The flows occur from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. between April 1 and June 30, when inflow to the project, in excess of irrigation demands, is between 10,000 and 12,500 cubic feet per second (cfs).

Projections are based on Snake River flow information provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Flows below Milner Dam and through the Milner power plant are dependent upon the availability of water in excess of irrigation needs.

The factors that determine flow predictions include, but are not limited to:

Snow pack
Flood control
Irrigation needs
Weather conditions
Anadromous fish flow releases

Whitewater Releases

For the latest available flow predictions, please call 1-800-422-3143.

If water is available, call Idaho Power's toll-free recreation line at 1-800-422-3143 (select option 2) to request a whitewater release date for boating below Milner Dam. You must provide the following:

Your first and last name.
The date and time you want to boat.
The number of persons in your group.
The duration you are requesting to boat.

Milner whitewater
Photo and video courtesy of Brian Ward
Mike Leeds Photography

Important Information about
whitewater releases

A whitewater release request must be made before 3 p.m. (MST) on the Friday before the requested weekend day.
A whitewater release request will occur only if there is sufficient water available and if requests for a given weekend day include at least two boaters.
A minimum of two boaters must check in at the Milner Power Plant before a requested release will be provided.
To verify a whitewater release, requesters must call 1-800-422-3143 (select option 2) after 4:30 p.m. MST on the Friday before the requested weekend day.
The request will be counted as one release day if sufficient water was available and no cancellation was made.

Recommended Skill Levels

The 1.6-mile stretch of river between the dam and the power plant is a Class V-level whitewater rapid, recommended only for experts when flows exceed 10,000 cfs.

The 5.5-mile stretch of river downstream from the power plant to Star Falls provides boaters with a potential Class II- or Class III-level whitewater experience. This stretch is recommended for intermediate boaters when flows exceed 5,000 cfs.

Flow Information

Flows can change hourly. Call Idaho Power’s toll-free recreation line at 1-800-422-3143 or visit our Water Information section for updated information about river conditions downstream from the dam and power plant.

Streamflow conditions on other sections of the Snake River can be obtained from these Web sites:

The Bureau of Land Management Web site offers additional information on this area including area maps and fee information.

Visit the Idaho Power Parks section for information about our other parks and recreational facilities.