Idaho Fish and Game and the City of McCall partner to improve access to the North Fork Payette River in McCall and open for public comment.

McCall, Idaho – Idaho Fish and Game and the City of McCall plan to submit a funding proposal for a project to improve conditions at an existing access area on the North Fork Payette River, in McCall.

The Deinhard Lane River Access site is on approximately 0.75 acres of land owned by the City of McCall, just east of the Deinhard Bridge. The site is used by anglers, non-motorized floaters, and other day-users. At present, the site has a parking area, a trail to the river, and a small beach that can be used as a primitive, non-motorized boat launch.

Right now, there are no formal improvements at the Deinhard Lane River Access site. When the site sees lots of use during spring and summer, parking is often haphazard, and sometimes access to the river along the access trail is blocked. Additionally, the site does not have a restroom or other basic improvements to support the use it currently receives. Providing these types of services – especially in high-use areas near our waterways – is a priority listed in the Valley County Waterways Management Plan.

The North Fork Payette River from Payette Lake downstream to Lake Cascade is designated as a non-motorized waterway by the Valley County Waterways Ordinance. Currently, non-motorized boating on this section of river is popular during spring for slightly larger crafts and in summer for tubing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. However, put-in/take-out accessibility is difficult, particularly for the slightly larger crafts that use the site in the spring, and use contributes to bank erosion.

This project aims to improve user accessibility, provide necessary services to keep the waterway healthy and reduce resource damage from current use.
The Deinhard Lane River Access Project is listed as a recommended improvement in the City of McCall’s 2023 Parks Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan. The scope of the project involves:
• Grading, surfacing, and stormwater retention
• Construction of a hardened, graded boat ramp for non-motorized watercraft
• Creating an ADA-accessible path to a landing area next to the river
• Installation of a rock barb structure just upstream of the landing and boat ramp to reduce erosion and protect the site
• Purchase and installation of restroom services
• Delineation of traffic flow and parking
• Potential construction of a picnic shelter for day-use

Idaho Fish and Game and the City of McCall Parks and Recreation Program staff believe this project will greatly benefit river users and the local community. This is a step toward maintaining and enhancing amenities to ensure the provision of high-quality recreation experiences and higher-quality facilities incorporating a strong partnership between resource managers serving recreationists – both of which are county-wide objectives in the Valley County Waterways Management Plan.
The public can provide comments on the project using this quick comment portal.