Idaho's only documented active glacier officially has a name

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Idaho's only glacier officially has a name.

Although it's relatively small in the glacier world (about 30 acres), the ice mass on the north slope of Mount Borah has officially been named Borah Glacier.

The Salmon-Challis National Forest on Thursday said the U.S. Board of Geographic Names met earlier this month and approved the name. It was originally discovered by Bruce Otto in 1974 and is the only documented active glacier in the Gem State.

It's taken several years, a study, research and report on the glacier to finally make it happen.

"Our survey confirmed the continued presence of the perennial ice mass originally identified in 1974 and concluded that the ice mass is indeed a glacier that continues to move under its own weight, based on measurements described herein in conjunction with results from the initial investigations in the 1970’s," an excerpt from the report states.

Mount Borah is Idaho's tallest mountain -- standing at 12,667 feet.