Nature gave us the Boise River and it is easy to believe that it is a wild part of the environment we so cherish in Idaho. However, humans throughout history have stopped, shaped, changed, and used our landmark. Starting as snow in the Sawtooths and ending as a political boundary between states, our indispensable river has been designed in our own image. In River by Design, editors Todd Shallat, Colleen Brennan, and Mike Medberry explore through various essays “the pyramids we Boiseans build on the Nile of our sagebrush Sahara, about cities and suburbs and other unmovable objects in the path of an invincible force.” It is a fascinating look at how Boiseans have woven the river into our local history, culture, politics and economics. Find the book online, if you get a chance!
by Doug Stan of Preservation Idaho