Aerial view of the Boise River and downtown Boise, Idaho.

Host Jeff Berckes speaks with water professionals from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the city of Boise about their creative approach to the Lower Boise River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nutrients. The city of Boise found an atypical way to meet pollutant reductions identified in the TMDL 40 miles downstream from their wastewater treatment facilities. The location of the Dixie Drain Phosphorus Removal Facility provides a unique opportunity to offset phosphorus inputs to the river system from multiple sources. Instead of more expensive treatment at the wastewater plants, the downstream facility maximizes phosphorus removal from sources along the river’s corridor.