About the Building

Green Building Practices

The Boise WaterShed was designed and constructed using green building practices and serves as a teaching tool about sustainability. The U.S. Green Building Council established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program as a nationally accepted rating system for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. The Boise WaterShed has met performance benchmarks in energy efficiency, water savings, site development, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. 

Key features in achieving Gold-level LEED Certification include using natural light, an entry way floor is a low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) rubber product made from recycled tires, a partial green roof to capture stormwater and to reduce heat loss and energy costs, flush toilets with treated plant effluent (W3 water), waterless urinals in men’s bathroom, and pipes for gallery fountain and bathroom sinks are reclaimed from West Boise Wastewater Plant “bone yard.”

Permeable Pavement Parking Lot  

The parking lot is the first exterior exhibit planned as part of the Boise WaterShed’s Phase II landscaping plan, which will eventually be more than a full acre of interactive, hands-on outdoor exhibits. The parking lot and all exhibits are a collaborative effort between the City of Boise and Boise WaterShed Exhibits, Inc. Money for the parking lot was donated by the Ada County Soil and Water Conservation District and permeable interlocking pavers were donated by Basalite Concrete Products.

Rain and snowmelt can flow across hard surfaces gathering pollution (like litter, oils and greases) and eventually drain into the Boise River. The type of permeable pavement used in our parking area is a Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement that can be used for roadways and heavy traffic areas. There are also many forms of permeable pavement that can be used for sidewalks, patios and other outdoor areas.

Benefits of Our Parking Lot:                                                                                             

• Reduces flooding and protects streams and rivers from erosion
• Allows rain, snow and surface water runoff to infiltrate through the pavement and replenish groundwater
• Reduces seasonal hot and cold climate impacts by reducing heat build-up that contributes to the urban heat island effect
• Gives urban trees and plants the rooting space they need to grow to full size and admit vital oxygen and water to the rooting zone
• Safely cleans up pollutants, like oils from cars, which enter the soils under the pavers and are digested by microorganisms

Waterwise Landscaping

Once an ordinary site of water-intensive grass, the Boise WaterShed's 1,200-square-foot waterwise garden is now home to more than 40 different native and low-water plants thanks to help from many volunteers and donors.

Special thanks to AmeriCorps member Tom Bouton and the following donors and volunteers without
whose generous support this project would not have been possible: Anser Charter School,
Boise Parks & Recreation Department, BSU Anthropology Club, Edwards Greenhouse, Gem State Academy, Jayker’s Nursery, Jensen Belts Associate Architecture, Old Valley Farm, Rootboy Radio, Tates Rents, and the West Boise Maintenance Crew.

By creating a waterwise garden you have the potential to cut your outdoor water use by up to 50%, helping to maintain our quality of life here in Idaho while still maintaining a green, pleasant and rewarding garden.

Benefits of Our Garden:

• Conserves water
• Attracts local wildlife
• No need for herbicides or pesticides
• Less chemical runoff into rivers and streams
• Good for the environment
• Saves money on water bills
• Low maintenance
• More natural