Flooding washes out roads, damages riverbanks at Birch Creek Campground

IDAHO FALLS — The intense rainfall across eastern Idaho last week has resulted in flooding at the Birch Creek Campground.

The popular campground is located about 70 miles northwest of Idaho Falls along Birch Creek, which runs through Butte, Clark and Lemhi counties.

Last week’s rainfall flooded portions of the river, damaging riverbanks and fast moving water washed out many of the roads, leaving eroded gaps as deep as three and a half feet, according to a Bureau of Land Management news release.

The areas is still open to the public, but officials with the BLM Upper Snake Field Office urge the public to remain cautious, as the site has significantly changed and large portions of the roads are now missing, which makes driving dangerous.

“The site has changed dramatically and it’s important for the public to take that into consideration when making their camping plans,” Outdoor Recreation Planner Jason Byrd said in a news release. “We understand how much folks appreciate the access the Birch Creek campground provides for fishing and we are going to address this damage as quickly as we can.”

Byrd said the areas located next to the creek sustained the worst damage and many of the campsites are washed out and remain under water.

There is concern that Saturday’s heavy rainfall with make the problem even worse.

“We are trying to put together a plan to repair the campground, but some of the damage is so severe we don’t have a timeline for when we can get everything fixed,” Byrd said.

Since driving off-road is prohibited, some Birch Creek campsites will simply not be inaccessible until flood danger is over and the BLM can make repairs, according to the news release.

For information about the Birch Creek flooding contact the Upper Snake Field Office at (208) 524-7500.