4.1.5 cultural resources - idaho · pdf fileseven square miles along the eastern margin of the...

CSWP: Little Salmon River Basin - 29

4.1.4 Land Cover andAdministration

The present patterns of vegetation cover anduse are shown on Figure 7. More than two-thirds of the basin is forested with conifers,mixed timber stands, and aspen groves.More than one-fifth of the basin is rangeland(in grasslands and shrubs), most of which isutilized for livestock operations. All ofMeadows Valley and some locations in thelower basin are cropland and pasture. Nearlyseven square miles along the eastern marginof the basin, mostly in the Hazard Creekdrainage, are recovering from the effects ofa large wildfire in 1994. Also in 1994, about5.5 square miles burned in the Rapid Riverdrainage during a prescribed fire (Shaw2000). Local residents and natural resourcemanagers state that significant portions ofthe forested lands are in “unnaturalconditions” (in other words, timber standconditions are prime for more catastrophicfires and watershed disturbances).

There is significant concern that sitespreviously occupied by fibrous woodyvegetation species (trees and shrubs) willconvert to tap-rooted invasive species suchas yellow starthistle (Cornwell 2001).Yellow starthistle is a noxious weedspreading quickly in the main Salmon Rivercanyons and uplands, and may invade theLittle Salmon River basin. When this occurs,runoff impacts could be worsened orintensified when combined with rain-on-snow events.

Figure 8 shows the current land ownershipdistribution. The public owns 68 percent ofthe land in the Little Salmon River basin.Federal agencies manage about 241,152acres of this land; state and localgovernments oversee 12,228 acres (statejurisdiction includes major highway rights-of-way). Private interests own 115,200acres, clustered primarily along the LittleSalmon River and at the southern end of thebasin. The Nez Perce Tribe also owns asmall parcel (less than five acres) near RapidRiver. Human settlement occupies aboutthree percent of the basin’s land.

Special management areas, shown on Figure9, highlight some unique resources in thebasin. These include a federally designatedWild and Scenic River, portions of the HellsCanyon National Recreation and WildernessAreas, and a county historic park site. Inaddition, the Pony Creek Research NaturalArea is located in the middle part of thebasin, along a tributary to Boulder Creek.Research Natural Areas are tracts of land orwater protected under the management ofthe U.S. Forest Service. The Pony CreekResearch Natural Area is an important studyarea for factors affecting the distribution ofvegetation. Its location in a transition areabetween northern and southern Idaho offersthe opportunity to study a variety ofvegetation and aquatic evolutionarycharacteristics in one location (U.S. ForestService 1988).

4.1.5 Cultural ResourcesHumans have occupied the Little SalmonRiver basin for between 8 and 11centuries(Landeen and Pinkham 1999; U.S. ForestService 1988). The Nez Perce and theShoshone-Bannock Tribes claim to haveoccupied this area.

Tribal members grouped themselves insmall semi-permanent villages, with groupsof villages combining to form bands(Landeen and Pinkham 1999, Walker 1978).There was no permanent political body, buteach band relied on the older males whocame together as a council as needed. Thetribes preferred local leadership tocentralized authority (Walker 1978).

The Nez Perce Tribe considers salmon to bea part of their spiritual and cultural identity.The Indians Claims Commission concludedthat the Indians economic cycle could bedescribed as ten months of fishing and twomonths of berry picking, while hunting year-round. Each band had its own fishing places,which were respected by other bands(Landeen and Pinkham 1999).

SCALE = 1 : 325,000

3 0 3 6 Miles

6 0 6 12 Kilometers

Prepared by:

IDAHO GEOGRAPHICINFORMATION CENTER

Idaho D epartmen t of Water Resources1301 N orth Orchard StreetBoise, ID 83709(208) 327-7900

X:\spatial\projects\planning\little_salmon\littlesalmon.apr (landcover)

BasinLocation

N

EW

S

#Y

#Y

#Y

#Y

#S

(/55

(/95

IDAHOCOUNTY

ADAMSCOUNTY

Pollock

Pinehurst

New Meadows

RigginsRM 0

RM 5

RM 1 0

RM 1 5

RM 2 0

RM 2 5

Brundage Mt.Ski Area

Map date: 12/18/00Source: 1992 - 1993 Landsat TM imagesprocessed by Idaho Department of WaterResources, 1998.

No data available

Agriculture 11,580 3.1%Forest 247,410 67.1%Barren/Rock 12,000 3.3%Brush/Shrub 47,870 13.0%Burn Areas 4,360 1.2%Grass 28,890 7.8%Riparian 9,620 2.6%Urban 160 0.04%Water 1,080 0.29%No data available 5,750 1.6%

ApproximateAcreage

Percentageof Area*

368,720Totals 100.03%

#Y CitiesMajor RoadsBasin Boundary

No data availableWaterUrbanRiparianGrassBurn AreasBrush/ShrubBarren/RockForestAgriculture


Land surface cover map of the Little Salmon River basin.Figure 7.

*Does not total 100% due to rounding.

Prepared by:


Idaho Department of Water Re sources1301 North Orchard StreetBoise, ID 83709(208) 327-7900

X:\spatial\projects\planning\little_salmon\littlesalmon.apr (ownership)

Map date: 12/18/00Sources: 1) Boundary based on 1:100,000hydrologic unit boundaries; 2) Ownershipdata from Bureau of Land Management andIdaho Department of Water Resources, 1997.

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3 0 3 6 Miles

6 0 6 12 Kilometers

#S

#Y

#Y

#Y

#Y

Payette National Forest

Nez Perce National Forest

(/95

(/55


IDAHOCOUNTY

ADAMSCOUNTY

Pollock

Pinehurst

New Meadows

RigginsRM 0

RM 5

RM 1 0

RM 1 5

RM 2 0

RM 2 5


N Fk Squaw Cr

S Fk Squaw

Papo

ose Creek

Squaw Cre ek

H

ailey Creek

Captain John Cr

Emery Creek

L it tl

e Sa

lmon

R

iver

N Fk Sheep

Sheep Creek

S hing le CreekS Fk S hingle Cr

Rap i

d Ri

ver

Ranyhan Gulch Hat Creek

Denny Creek

Hans on Creek

We st Fork Rapi d R

iver

Indi an Cree k

N Fk R

attlesnake Cr

Ratt lesnake Creek

Lockwo od C

r

Elk Creek

Fall CreekCamp Creek

Castle C

reekCopper Creek

Paradise Cree k

Lit tle Salmo n R

iv er

Rap

id Ri ve

r

L it tle E

lk C r

Hya

tt Creek

BuckCreekJ ack s C

r

Ha zard Cr

Trai l

C reek

S

quirrel Cr

Pony Cr

Bu ll Horn Cr

Ha rd C

reek

Boul

de

r Creek

Bascu m Can

yon

LakeSerens

DisappointmentLake

Grass MtLakes

Big HazardLake

HazardLake

Upper HazardLake

Wa rm

S prings C

r

Clayburn C

r

B row

n C

reek

Corral Cr

TwinLake

GooseLake

BrundageReservoir

Rou

nd V

alley Cr

Mi ddle M

ud Creek

Mud C

reekLi ttl e M

ud Cr

Sixm

i l

e Cr eek

Martin Cr eek

Fourmile Creek

Threemi l e C

reek

Brun

dage

Cr

Thor

n C

r

We st Branch Goose

E

ast Branch Goose Cr

Cam

pbel l Dit ch G

oo

se

Cre

ek

Little Goose CrLittle C reek

Mill

Cree

k

Vick

Cre

ek

Little Salmon Rive r Th

r ush

Cre

ek

Big Creek

Fish LakeF

ish

Cre

ek

Black Lake

Lake Fork

G

ranite F

or

k

N

EW

S


Land ownership and distribution in the Little Salmon River basin.Figure 8.

Bureau of Land ManagementForest ServiceState of Idaho

Public Lands

OthersBoise Cascade

Private Lands

Major Roads

Basin Boundary

#Y Cities

Land tracts less than 40 acresmay be omitted due to map scale.

ApproximateAcreage

Percentageof Area

16,170 4%

44,390 12%

180,400 49%

13,410 4%

48,000 13%

66,350 18%

Bureau of Land Management

Nez Perce National Forest


State of Idaho

Boise Cascade

Other private

Private Lands

Totals

Public Lands

368,720 100%

Land Ownership

BasinLocation

$T Research Natural AreasPacker John's Cabin County Park

Hells Canyon Wilderness Area

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Basin Boundary

#Y Cities

Rapid River Wild and Scenic River

Major Roads

#Y

#Y

#Y

#Y

#S

$T

$T

$T

N Fk Squaw Cr

S Fk Squaw

Papo

ose Creek

Sq uaw Cr e ek

H

a iley Creek

Captain John Cr

Emery Creek

L it tl

e Sa

lmon

R

iver

N Fk Sheep

Sheep Creek

Shing le CreekS Fk S hingle Cr

Rap i

d Ri

ver

Ranyhan Gulch Hat Creek

Denny Creek

Hans on Creek

We st Fork Rapi d R

iver

Indi an Cree k

N Fk R

attlesnake Cr

Ratt lesnake Cre

ek

Lockwo od C

r

Elk C

reek

Fall Cr eekCamp Creek

Castle C

reekCopper Creek

Paradise Cree k

Lit tle Salmo n R

iv er

Rapid

Ri ver

L it tle

E

lk C r

Hya

tt Creek

BuckCreekJack s C

r

Ha zard C r

Trai l

Creek

S

quirrel Cr

Pony Cr

Bu ll Horn Cr

Hard Creek

B oulde

r Creek

Bascu m Can

yon

LakeSerens

DisappointmentLake

Grass MtLakes

Big HazardLake

HazardLake

Upper HazardLake

Warm

S prings C

r

Clayburn C

r

B row

n C

reek

Corral Cr

TwinLake

GooseLake

BrundageReservoir

Rou

nd V

alley Cr

Mi ddle M

ud Creek

Mud C

reekL ittl e M

ud Cr

Sixm

i l

e Cr eek

Martin Cr eek

Fourmile Creek

Threemi l e C

reek

Bru

ndag

e Cr

Thor

n C

rWe st Branch Goose

E

ast Branch Goose Cr

Cam

pbel l Dit ch G

oo

se

Cre

ek

Little Goose CrLittle C reek

Mill

Creek

Vick

Cre

ek

Lit tle Salmon Rive r Th

rush

Cre

ek

Big Creek

Fish LakeF

ish

Cre

ek

Black Lake

Lake Fork

Granite

For

k

IDAHOCOUNTY

ADAMSCOUNTY (/95

(/55

Pollock

Pinehurst

New Meadows

RigginsRM 0

RM 5

RM 1 0

RM 1 5

RM 2 0

RM 2 5


BasinLocation

Prepared by:


Idaho Department of Water Resources1301 North Orchard StreetBoise, ID 83709(208) 327-7900

X:\spatial\projects\planning\little_salmon\littlesalmon.apr (specmanage)

Map date: 12/18/00Source: IDWR, Boise National Forest, BLM - Boise District, 1998.

SCALE = 1 : 325,000

3 0 3 6 Miles

6 0 6 12 Kilometers

N

EW

S

Lightning Creek RNA

Little Granite Creek RNA

Hells CanyonWilderness Area

Hells CanyonNational Recreation Area Bruin

MountainRNA

Rapid River Wildand Scenic River

Pony CreekResearch Natural Area

Packer John's CabinCounty Park


Special management areas for unique resources in the Little Salmon River basin.Figure 9.


Important changes came with the acquisitionof horses in the early 18th century. Both theNez Perce and the Shoshone-Bannockincreased their areas of travel – the NezPerce into the divide country, and theShoshone-Bannock northward into thesouthwest Idaho mountains. Both of thesetribes were wealthy because of the resourceabundance of the central Idaho mountainsand valleys and their use of horses for travel,hunting, and defense. Both tribes developedclass societies based on wealth, which inturn was based on the ownership of horses(Walker 1978).

Changes came again with the influx of euro-americans in the 19th century. In 1836,Presbyterian missionaries introducedChristianity to the tribes, creating religiousdivides that influenced tribal government,treaty negotiations, and tribal and individualwealth (Landeen and Pinkham 1999).Conflicts with new settlers arose over accessto lands and streams. The federalgovernment became involved, and the tribesentered into treaty negotiations during themiddle part of the 19th century. Tribalgovernmental systems changed; the U.S.government’s demand for a single authorityfigure to act for the entire tribe was largelyresponsible for the creation of the head chiefposition (Walker 1978). The Nez Perce tribeceded tribal lands in the Treaty of 1855. TheNez Perce reservation boundaries werefurther reduced by the 1863 Nez PerceTreaty and Cession Agreement in 1893.

In 1884, the Circle C Ranch, once one of thelargest ranches in the country, was foundedin the Meadows Valley by CharlesCampbell. Other cattle and sheep rancheswere developed; 67 ranches were reported in1888 in the Little Salmon River basin(Eisensohn 1951). These new residents ofthe basin lived on the land. Support serviceswere grouped into small towns and villages.The town of Meadows was supplanted bythe city of New Meadows when railroadlines were built into the valley. The town ofRiggins was established by ranchers, buttimber extraction and mining also becameimportant economic activities (Manser andWilson 1983). Cattle and sheep ranchers

lived in permanent structures on landsoutside of the towns. Rugged terrain and theneed to tend to livestock and homes limitedtravel of the new settlers both within andoutside of the basin. Newspapers of the timenoted the passage of Indians through thebasin as they made their way to huntinggrounds in the basin (Eisensohn 1951).Indians – probably Nez Perce – fished andcamped along the Little Salmon River in thespring and fall during the late 1800s(Manser and Wilson 1983).

Packer John’s Cabin, a building locatedsomewhere in Meadows Valley during theearly 1860s, was used by travelers and earlyeuro-american settlers of the area. Areconstructed version of the cabin is now acounty park, although not at the cabin’soriginal location (Defenbach 1984). A roadwas built to connect Riggins with MeadowsValley in the early 1900s. The first six carstraversed the road in 1916, and by the 1920s,the road was graveled (Manser and Wilson1983).

Nez Perce tribal members continue to usethe basin to exercise their treaty fishing andhunting rights. The Little Salmon Riverbasin continues to be important to the NezPerce for fishing, hunting, social, andreligious activities.

The federal government recognizesimportant historical sites by listing them onthe National Register. The National Registeris maintained by the National Park Serviceand lists properties of national, state, andlocal archaeological, historic, orarchitectural significance. Several buildingsin the Little Salmon River basin are listed onthe National Historic Register: the Meadowsschoolhouse, the Pacific and NorthernRailroad depot, the Col. E.M. Heigho House(all in Meadows Valley), and the AitkenBarn south of Riggins.


4.1.6 Social and EconomicCharacteristics

Demand for water depends on the levels andpatterns of demographic and economicactivities in the Little Salmon River basin. Inthis section, estimates of population,housing, income, employment, andunemployment are used to describe thedemographic and economic characteristicsof the basin. Data for this section wereobtained primarily from the Census ofPopulation and Housing (U.S. Bureau the ofCensus 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 1995, and2000). As of the date this basin plan was lastedited (Sept. 2001), Year 2000 censusstatistics were not available, other thangeneral population figures. Specificinformation regarding agriculture, timber,mining, and recreation was compiled byIDWR to meet the needs of this plan andrequests made by various advisory groupparticipants (refer to Appendix G).

The Little Salmon River basin lies withinportions of Adams and Idaho Counties, andthe area of the basin is considerably smallerthan either one of the counties.Consequently, county level data is notnecessarily representative of localdemographic and economic conditionswithin the basin. A more accuraterepresentation is potentially achieved byusing census county divisions (CCDs)(Figure 10). These are areas defined andused by the U.S. Bureau of Census forcollecting and presenting information at asub-county level. Three CCDs cover parts ofthe Little Salmon River basin, but only twoare substantially within the Little SalmonRiver basin and are used in this plan, andare: the New Meadows CCD, which covers421.3 square miles in Adams County, andthe Riggins CCD, which covers 1,221square miles in Idaho County. Nevertheless,great care must be exercised wheninterpreting CCD-level information becausethere may be significant levels of economicactivity inside the CCD, but outside of theLittle Salmon River basin.

PopulationAccording to the latest partial release ofYear 2000 census information (dated March2001) and depicted in Figure 11, only twocounties in Idaho have seen declines in theirnumbers of residents (those being Butte andShoshone Counties). Both Adams and IdahoCounties have grown slightly in the last tenyears, as well as the New Meadows andRiggins CCDs (Figure 12). Contrary to thisgrowth trend, the City of Riggins has seenabout a seven percent drop in its population.The City of New Meadows, on the otherhand, has stayed at nearly its same size since1990, losing only one person. No recentcensus information is available for the townsof Meadows, Pinehurst, and Pollock at thistime. About one-half of the basin’spopulation lives in New Meadows, Pollock,or Riggins. The remaining residents occupyolder ranch properties or newer ruralsubdivisions and ranchettes. The full timeresidential population of the Little SalmonRiver basin was estimated to be 2,695 inYear 2000.

#

#

#

#

#

Riggins

Pollock

Pinehurst

New Meadows

Grangeville

(/95

(/95

ADAMSCOUNTY

IDAHO COUNTY

VALLEY COUNTY

BasinLocation

Little Salmon Basin

Counties

# Cities

Riggins CCDNew Meadows CCD

Council CCD

Prepared by:


Idaho Department of Water Resources1301 North Orchard StreetBoise, ID 83709(208) 327-7900

X:\spatial\projects\planning\little_salmon\littlesalmon.apr (census)

SCALE = 1 : 1,000,000

9 0 9 18 Miles

20 0 20 40 Kilometers

Map date: 12/18/00Source: 1990 Census Tracts, Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Geography Division.

N

EW

S


Census county divisions found in the Little Salmon River basin.Figure 10.

N

EW

S

SCALE = 1 : 4,000,000

30 0 30 60 90 Miles

80 0 80 160 Kilometers

LATAH

VALLEY

FREMONTCLARK

BOISE

BUTTE

CAMASADA BONNEVILLE

BINGHAM

LINCOLN

JEROME

ONEIDA

BENEWAH

CLEARWATER

IDAHO

NEZ PERCE

LEWIS

LEMHI

CUSTERPAYETTE

ELMORE

JEFFERSONTETON

BLAINE

MADISON

GOODING

MINIDOKA CARIBOU

BANNOCK

CASSIATWIN FALLS

BOUNDARY

BONNER

SHOSHONE

KOOTENAI

ADAMS

WASHINGTON

GEM

CANYON

OWYHEE

BEAR LAKE

FRANKLIN

POWER

Declining (2 counties)

Increasing by 0% to 9.9% (10 counties)



Increasing by 40% + (6 counties)

Map date: 5/08/01Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, March 2001.

BasinLocation


Percent change in population, 1990-2000 (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, March 2001).Figure 11.

Prepared by:


Idaho D epartment of Water Resources1301 North Orchard StreetBoise, ID 83709(208) 327-7900

D:\Planning\Little_Salmon\katy\littlesalmon_figures.apr


600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year

12,500

13,000

13,500

14,000

14,500

15,000

15,500

16,000

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year

Legend

State of Idaho

Idaho County

Adams County

Riggins CensusDivision

New MeadowsCensus Division

City of NewMeadows

City of Riggins

Town of Pollock

Figure 12. Population trends for selected locations in Idaho.

Po

pu

latio

n (

nu

mb

er o

f p

erso

ns)

Legend


Age is another important aspect of thepopulation of the basin. The basin’spopulation is generally older than that of thestate of Idaho. Figure 13 displays medianage of the population in the New Meadowsand Riggins CCDs, and the state. Theincrease in the median age of the basin’spopulation can be explained by its decreasein the population of children under 18 yearsof age, and the increase in adults over 65years of age.

28.6

34.3

31.7

41.8

26.4

31.5

25

30

35

40

45

1970 1990Year

Med

ian

Ag

e (y

ears

) Riggins CCD

New Meadows CCD

Idaho

Figure 13. Median age of residents in theRiggins and New Meadows censuscounty divisions, and in Idaho.

Projections of future population are onlyavailable by county units, not by countycensus divisions. By Year 2025, accordingto Idaho Power Company projections, thepopulations of Adams and Idaho Countieswould increase about 15 percent each fromtoday’s numbers to 4,340 and 17,020respectively (Idaho Power Company 2001).

Characteristics of HouseholdsFigure 14 illustrates the number ofhouseholds occupied on a year-round basis,in the basin and in the state, during the years1970, 1980, and 1990. The New Meadowsand Riggins CCDs are shown on the leftscale, and the state is on the right scale.Between 1970 and 1990, the number ofhouseholds in New Meadows increased by27 percent, and in Riggins the increase was45 percent. In comparison, the populationincreased by 12.6 percent in the basin as awhole over the same period.

The relatively higher growth rate ofhouseholds compared with the populationreflects an increase in persons per householdin the two CCDs. There was a decrease inpersons per household in New Meadows andRiggins from 2.99 and 2.95, respectively, in1970, to 2.58 and 2.35, respectively, in1990.

Seasonal or occasional housing use (secondhomes) is an important characteristic of thebasin and distinguishes it from the state as awhole. The Census of Housing estimatedthat seasonal housing added 121 units to the457 year-round units in the New MeadowsCCD in 1990. Similarly, seasonal housingadded 151 units to the 529 year-roundhousing units in the Riggins CCD. Theseestimates put seasonal housing at between17 and 19 percent of all housing in theRiggins and New Meadows CCDs. Thosepercentages are higher than the rest of thestate, as illustrated in Figure 15. Seasonalhousing on a statewide level was 6 percentin 1990. Furthermore, seasonal housing inthe basin has remained almost constant from1980 to1990, whereas statewide seasonalhousing fell from 8 to 6 percent, a decreaseof 25 percent.

IncomeEstimates of income and employment for theNew Meadows and Riggins CCDs wereobtained from the Census of Population andHousing for 1980 and 1990 (the Year 2000Census income and employment statisticswere unavailable as of the date this basinplan was written) (U.S. Bureau of theCensus 1980, 1990). The residents of theNew Meadows and Riggins CCDs hadroughly the same per capita income in 1980(Figure 16). However, between 1980 and1990, per capita income almost doubled forNew Meadows CCD residents, a growth ratemirrored at the state level. In contrast,Riggins CCD residents experienced anincrease of only 50 percent over the sameperiod.


0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1970 1980 1990

0

40000

80000

120000

160000

200000

240000

280000

320000

360000

400000

440000

480000

New Meadows Division Riggins Division State

Figure 14. Number of households occupied on year-round basis in the Little Salmon River basin from 1970to 1990.

5%

8%

11%

14%

17%

20%


1980 1990

Figure 15. Percentage of seasonal housing in the Riggins and New Meadows census county divisions, andin Idaho (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census 1980 and 1990).

CCD’s IDAHO


$0

$2,000

$4,000

$6,000

$8,000

$10,000

$12,000

$14,000


1980 1990

Figure 16. Per capita income in the Riggins and New Meadows census county divisions, and in Idaho(Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census 1980 and 1990).

To explain the income growth experiencedby basin residents between 1980 and 1990, itis helpful to identify the primary sources ofincome as well as any changes that mayhave occurred during the period. Sources ofincome identified in the census includedwages and salaries, self-employment, socialsecurity and interest, dividends and rents. Inthe New Meadows CCD, 71 percent of theincome received in 1990 came from wageand salaries, 7 percent from social security,7 percent from self employment and 12percent from interest, dividends, and rents.In the Riggins CCD, a lower proportion ofincome came from wages and salaries (61percent), a higher proportion from socialsecurity (13.4 percent) and self-employment(11 percent), and the same percentage frominterest and dividend income (11 percent).

EmploymentFigures 17, 18, 19, and 20 illustrateemployment estimates. Industries aregrouped into sectors corresponding toStandard Industrial Classification codes.

Major employers of basin residents are theagricultural sector (including forestry,fishing, and mining), service sectors(business, repair, personal, entertainment,recreational, and professional services),retail trade, and manufacturing.New Meadows and Riggins CCD residentsare engaged predominately in agriculture.Primary activities are hay and cattleproduction. Some heavy equipment repairand forest product manufacturing are donewithin the CCD (but outside the LittleSalmon River basin, as in the case of theTamarack Sawmill). Nearby BrundageMountain Ski Resort attracts visitors and hasbeen expanding. Cattle ranches are scatteredthrough the basin. Riggins is a popularfishing and rafting destination. It is also atraditional rest stop for travelers of U.S.Highway 95, Idaho’s only major north-southroad link.

Some Little Salmon River basin residentswork outside the area. According to thecensus, 26 percent of New Meadows CCDresidents and eight percent of Riggins CCD


residents worked outside their respectivecounties. Anecdotal evidence suggests thatmany New Meadows residents work justoutside the basin at the Tamarack Sawmilland in nearby McCall, in Valley County. Asmall number of residents commute toCascade, also in Valley County, and a fewcommute to Boise (Ada County).

Comparative and historical views ofemployment in the two CCDs are presentedin Figures 17 and 18. About the samenumber of New Meadows and Riggins CCDresidents were employed in agriculture in1990. A greater number of New MeadowsCCD residents were employed in retail andmanufacturing, while more Riggins CCDresidents were employed in service groupemployment. Between 1980 and 1990, totalemployment in the New Meadows CCDincreased by 14 percent, whereas totalemployment in the Riggins CCD remainedunchanged.

There were some important shifts inemployment patterns from 1980 to 1990 inboth CCDs. Retail and agriculture surpassedmanufacturing as the largest employers ofNew Meadows residents. Services andpublic administration took over frommanufacturing, construction, andtransportation as the largest employers ofRiggins residents. The increase in serviceemployment in Riggins reflected a growth inrecreation enterprises. Governmentemployment increases were partly a result ofthe creation of the Hells Canyon NationalRecreation Area. Employment of Rigginsresidents in agriculture, forestry, mining,and fishing sectors fell slightly during theten-year period.

Retail and services emerged as majorsources of employment in the Little Salmon

River basin reflecting an increased demandfor goods and services. Some of the demandcomes from part-time or seasonal users ofthe basin, including spillover from the resorttown of McCall. Demand is also fueled byothers outside of the basin, who haveincomes that have more than kept pace withthe state’s rising average wages. Additionaldemand comes from an increase in vehicletraffic passing through the area. Averagedaily travel at the intersection of routes StateHighway 55 and U.S. 95 in New Meadowsis estimated to have increased from 4,580vehicles per day in 1980, to 7,080 vehiclesper day in 1990. The rate of growth invehicular traffic has since slowed; in 1997,7,700 vehicles per day passed through NewMeadows (Fuller 1999).

The employment profile of the basin doesnot match that of the state (Figures 19 and20). Compared with the state, the basin has aproportionately larger agricultural sector (20percent vs. 10 percent). The basin also has alarger proportion of recreation andentertainment services (9 percent vs. 4percent) and smaller proportions ofprofessional services (13 percent vs. 22percent) and wholesale trade (1 percent vs. 5percent).

An additional indicator of economic activityin the basin is the unemployment rate. Whilethe area experienced a recession in the earlyand mid 1980s, Figure 21 shows thatbetween 1980 and 1990 unemployment fellfrom 38 percent to 15 percent in the NewMeadows CCD, and from 24 percent to 12percent in the Riggins CCD. Yet in contrastwith the state as whole, the unemploymentrate in the basin remained high.Unemployment in the state during that sameperiod fell from 7.9 to 6 percent.


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

1980 1990

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

1980 1990

Figure 17. Number employed in New Meadows bycensus county division industry (SourceU.S. Bureau of the Census 1980, 1990).

Figure 18. Number employed in Riggins bycensus county division industry (SourceU.S. Bureau of the Census 1980, 1990).

Legend

1. Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Mining 7. Finance, Insurance, Real Estate2. Construction 8. Services : Business3. Manufacturing 9. Services : Personal, Recreation, Entertainment4. Transportation, Communications, Public Utilities 10. Services : Professional5. Wholesale Trade 11. Public Administration6. Retail Trade

(11) 6%

(10) 13%

(9) 9%

(8) 4%

(7) 6%

(6) 19%(5) 1%

(4) 4%

(3) 13%

(2) 5%

(1) 20%

(1) 10%

(2) 7%

(3) 15%

(4) 6%

(5) 5%

(6) 17%

(7) 5%

(8) 4%

(9) 4%

(10) 22%

(11) 5%

Figure 19. Percentage of employed in Little SalmonRiver basin by census county divisionindustry (Source: U.S. Bureau of theCensus 1990).

Figure 20. Percentage of employed in Idaho bycensus county division industry(Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census1990).


0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%


1980 1990

Figure 21. Unemployment rates in the Riggins and New Meadows census county divisions, and in Idaho(Source: Bureau of the Census 1980, 1990).

Old Economy vs. New EconomyThere have been many debates regarding theeconomic values and worth of traditionalemployment sector jobs (such as in loggingand ranching) when compared with river-based recreation sector jobs. In the lastdecade, float and power boating, salmon andsteelhead fishing, and tourism haveincreased as part of the local economy. Thistrend is not unique to the Little SalmonRiver basin. Currently, tourism in Idahoranks third in economic importance afteragriculture and electronics manufacturing(with food processing #4, othermanufacturing #5, timber/lumber #6,chemicals #7, and mining #8)(Idaho Dept. ofCommerce 2001). Much attention has beendirected to this issue, especially with therecent closures of area lumber mills andrecord salmon and steelhead returns in theSnake River system. One important messageto learn from the data is that the basin’s

economy is diversifying and growing. In theend, growth of tourism and recreation sectorjobs adds to the local economy.

Because the Little Salmon River basin doesnot conform to common boundaries used formaking detailed economic investigations,and given the difficulty of making accuratecomparisons, no conclusions were made inthis document pertaining to the “old” vs.“new” economy of the basin. IDWRattempted to make employment sectorcomparisons within the basin using severaldifferent data sources; the results weredeemed inaccurate. However, IDWR didmake economic estimates for the differentsectors. Based on these estimates, the annualvalue to the basin from fishing and relatedrecreation jobs is about equal to theeconomic value of crops in the basin.Appendix G provides details about fishing,agriculture, mining, and timber sectors. For


more information regarding relationshipsbetween logging and recreation sectoremployment, refer to Section 4.4.2.

4.1.7 Energy Supply andConservation

The Idaho Power Company supplieselectrical energy to the Little Salmon Riverbasin. Most of this energy is produced bycompany-owned hydropower facilities at theHells Canyon Complex on the Snake River.A power transmission line from OxbowDam generators crosses the upper end of thebasin, south of New Meadows, en route to asubstation at McCall. From this station,electricity is distributed throughout the area.

Hydropower projects are discussed in theWater Resources section of this chapter.Existing projects are described in WaterAllocation. The discussion on proposedhydropower projects in the Little SalmonRiver basin is located in the Water ResourceDevelopment section of this chapter.

Wood remains a popular choice for heatingbecause of the convenience of the basin’sprivate and public forest properties. The lowefficiency of wood as a fuel is offset by itslow cost. It is not known if supply anddistribution limitations constrain wood as asource to meet future energy needs in thebasin. Wood fuel is used in a co-generationplant at the Tamarack sawmill, located nearthe Little Salmon River basin’ssouthwestern boundary (outside the basin).

There is some use of propane for heatingfuel. Propane is a byproduct of crude oilrefining and natural gas processing.Consequently, its price is somewhatdependent on those processes. In addition,propane prices can exhibit price spikes thatare greater in intensity than would beexpected from normal supply and demandinfluences (Energy InformationAdministration n.d.). Price increases areoften seen in the winter, as demandincreases and refinement production remainsconstant. In addition, the residents of theLittle Salmon River basin must cope withwinter storms that cause interruptions in the

surface transportation system. These factorsput propane users in a vulnerable positionduring the time of the year when suppliesare most important.

The gasoline supply is adequate throughoutthe basin. Retail outlets are located in NewMeadows and Riggins. As with other fuelsources, the basin remains vulnerable tostormy weather and interruptions in thesurface transportation system. Natural gas,which is carried via pipelines to the endconsumer, is not presently available in theLittle Salmon River basin.

Conservation programs designed to increaseefficiencies in energy use are expected toplay major roles in meeting future energyrequirements in the short-run (Idaho PowerCompany 2001). These efficiencies comeabout by encouraging less energy use inproducing a given service while maintainingthe desired amenity level.

The Energy Division of IDWR providesinformation, technical assistance, andfinancial support to promote cost-effectiveconservation and the use of energy-efficientresources. The Northwest Energy Code andlocally-adopted building codes are examplesof programs that support modernconservation standards for new buildingconstruction, and are usually administeredby local governments. Existing buildings areeligible for energy conservation upgradingthrough several programs sponsored by stateand federal agencies and the private utilitiesindustries (Eklund 1997).

4.2 Water Resources

4.2.1 Water SupplyThe term “water supply” refers to theamount of water in a particular area, in thiscase, the Little Salmon River basin. It issometimes measured as precipitation or asstream flow. An accurate determination ofthe water supply in the Little Salmon Riverbasin is difficult, as very little data onsurface water flows have been collected.Stream flow measurements have beenrecorded for an extended duration at only


one location in the basin: the mouth of theLittle Salmon River. Snow pack data arealso collected at only one location:Brundage Reservoir. However, these datacan be used to project stream flowconditions throughout the basin usingestablished and accepted methodologies.

Surface WaterThe Little Salmon River basin, comparedwith other hydrologic basins in Idaho, isatypical from a geomorphic and hydrologicperspective. Most often, the headwaterportions of a basin have the highestelevation and correspondingly, the highestannual precipitation. The broad, relativelylow relief of the Meadows Valley portion ofthe basin is not typical of a headwater area.The highest annual precipitation occurs mid-basin, along the eastern divide in the vicinityof Bruin Mountain and Hazard Lake, inTownship 21N, Range 3E, and along thelower western divide in the upper RapidRiver drainage, which is at the lower end ofthe basin (Ondrechen 1998).

Daily stream flow records are available forthree locations in the basin: Little SalmonRiver at Riggins (1951– present), MudCreek near Tamarack (1946-1959), andBoulder Creek near Tamarack (1938-1945).A comparison of the Little Salmon Riverand Mud Creek data indicate that the MudCreek gage peaks much earlier than theLittle Salmon River gage. Boulder Creek, asmaller watershed at a much higherelevation than Mud Creek, has a date of

peak flow much closer to the Little SalmonRiver gage (Ondrechen 1998).

The User Guide for Idaho Hydrologic Maps(Warnick et al. 1981) provides roughestimates of average annual runoff atselected ungaged sites based on estimatedaverage annual precipitation and runoffcoefficients calculated for gaged sites.Estimated values are available for three sub-basins in the Little Salmon basin, as shownin Table 3. According to these estimates, 32percent of the annual runoff from the basinoriginates above Round Valley Creek. TheHazard Creek drainage, which isdownstream of Round Valley Creek,contributes 19 percent of the total flow ofthe Little Salmon River. The Rapid River,which empties into the Little Salmon Riverat the lower end of the drainage in Township24N, Range 1 E, Section 32, contributes 23percent of the drainage’s total flow.

The estimated volumes and rates of flow donot include a temporal component.Typically, gradually warming temperaturesin the spring create high runoff flows thatthen taper through the spring and summer tolow flows in the winter. This pattern can bealtered by winter rain events, as occurred inJanuary of 1997, resulting in high streamflows. Or, a cool spring will maintainsnowpack later into the year, which mayresult in heavy stream flows whentemperatures increase sharply as summerarrives.

Table 3. Estimated average annual runoff.Location Drainage

Area (mi2)Average Annual

Precipitation (in.)Estimated Average

Annual Runoff (cfs)1

Little Salmon above Round Valley Creek 188 32.1 244

Rapid River (mouth) 126 32.0 172

Hazard Creek (mouth) 86 33.6 144

Little Salmon at Riggins 584 31.1 7622

1Cubic feet per second2Observed average annual runoff (1951-1997) is 792 cfs. Source: Warnick et al. 1981.


The temporal aspect of runoff affects the useof storage facilities at Granite Twin Lake,Goose Lake, and Brundage Reservoir. Thesereservoirs are not large enough to contain allof the high flows in the spring. In thesummer, usually by early July, water isreleased from the reservoirs to meetdownstream water rights. Water rightowners divert water from the stream systemin accordance with their water rights. As aresult, stream flow in the Little SalmonRiver between Goose Creek and thetributaries in the canyon area becomesreduced as the summer progresses.

IDWR designates standard irrigation seasonsof use for the different areas of the state. Thestandards are based on the waterrequirements of alfalfa, and take intoaccount climate and elevation data(Peppersack 1999). For most of the lowerelevations in the Little Salmon River basin,the irrigation season is from April 1 toOctober 31 of each year. A portion of thedownstream end of the basin has a longerseason from February 15 to November 20.

Based on IDWR’s irrigation seasons andother run-off calculations (Warnick et al.1981), the basin produces an averagevolume of 322,875 acre-feet over the courseof the irrigation seasons. Two-thirds of thiswater originates downstream of RoundValley Creek.

Ground WaterData for ground water systems in the LittleSalmon River are limited. Development hasbeen almost exclusively for domestic andmunicipal uses. Four areas in the basin (NewMeadows, Pinehurst, Pollock, and Riggins)have developed ground water, as describedbelow.

New Meadows is situated on an alluvialbasin (see Geology and Soils sections).Based on well drilling reports submitted tothe IDWR, basalts are interlayered withclays, sands, gravels, and boulders, as onemight expect in an alluvial environment. Atlower depths, basalt becomes the dominantrock. Well depths range from approximately40 feet (domestic) to over 600 feet

(municipal). Ground water can be found atdepths less than 20 feet to as deep as 550feet. Available data suggest connectivitybetween deep and shallow ground water;both are part of a single aquifer without aconsistent intervening confining layer. Wellyields range from 15 to 20 gallons perminute for domestic wells, to over 400gallons per minute for municipal wells.Recharge to the aquifer comes from theLittle Salmon River, Big Creek, LittleCreek, and the West Branch of GooseCreek.

The Pinehurst and Pollock areas displaysimilar ground water hydrauliccharacteristics. Both areas are underlain by ashallow alluvial aquifer under the valleyfloor. Based on well drillers’ reports, themain aquifer consists of course-grainedalluvium ranging from a few feet to over 30feet in thickness. Well yields range from 10to 30 gallons per minute. Bedrock lies 30 to60 feet below the surface. Ground water inthe hard rock beneath the alluvium, and inthe surrounding mountains, is found atvariable depths associated with fracturezones. The bedrock in the Pollock areaappears to be more fractured than nearPinehurst, resulting in slightly higher yields.Yields range from two to 15 gallons perminute in both areas.

Recharge to the alluvial aquifer is mostlyfrom the Little Salmon River with minoramounts of water from tributaries. Rechargeto the ground water in the hard rock is fromsurrounding creeks and streams andassociated precipitation.

Data for the Riggins area are more limitedthan for the rest of the basin. There are onlyfour well drillers’ reports on file with theIDWR. Although no well logs are availablefor the two municipal wells that serve thecity of Riggins, it has been reported thateach well produces 300 to 350 gallons perminute. It can be assumed that thehydrogeology in Riggins is similar to thePinehurst and Pollock areas – a shallowalluvial aquifer underlain by hard rock.Recharge is principally from the Little


Salmon and Salmon Rivers (Bendixsen2000).

Geothermal WaterThere are a number of geothermal springsand wells in the Little Salmon River basin.Most of them are located along the LittleSalmon River corridor in the MeadowsValley.

The IDWR investigated the geothermalresources of the state and issued a report in1980. No geothermal wells or springs werefound in the Idaho County portion of theLittle Salmon River basin, but several werelocated and measured in the Adams Countyportion. Krigbaum Hot Springs, located eastof the city of New Meadows, flows from anortheast trending fault in Cretaceaousgranitic rocks near Miocene basalt. Twoseparate vents were measured at 567.75gallons per minute, at temperatures of 104oFand 107.6oF. IDWR estimates subsurfacetemperatures of 166.8oF and 204.8oF,respectively (Mitchell et al. 1980). Ageothermal well at Zims, a commercialestablishment next to the Little SalmonRiver north of New Meadows, wasmeasured at 166oF, and producedapproximately 36 gallons per minute (IdahoDepartment of Water Resources 2000a).

The IDWR has measured other geothermalsprings and wells located along the LittleSalmon River corridor north of NewMeadows. Temperatures range from 78.8oFto 166.8oF, with discharges of 5 to 10gallons per minute. Some wells and springshave not been measured by IDWR, butowners report temperatures up to 138oF andflows of nine to 378 gallons per minute(Idaho Department of Water Resources2000a).

4.2.2 Water Allocation and UseThe constitution and statutes of the state ofIdaho declare all waters to be property of thestate. This includes streams and riversflowing in natural channels, springs andlakes, and all ground waters. A water rightrepresents permission from the state to putits waters to a beneficial use. Water rightsdescribe the source of water, a priority date,

the amount of water to be used, what thewater is to be used for, and where and whenthe water will be used. The IDWRadministers water rights in Idaho based uponthe Doctrine of Prior Appropriation, (i.e.,first in time is first in right.) See Chapter4.3.1 for information regarding moratoriumorders issued by the director of IDWR.

Court Decrees and the Snake RiverBasin AdjudicationThere have been eight court decrees of waterrights in the Little Salmon River basin priorto the Snake River Basin Adjudication(SRBA). The decrees are listed in AppendixD. Water right decrees sometimes require awatermaster to deliver the rights asdescribed in the decree. One watermasterserves both Big Creek (District 78A) andGoose Creek (78C) in the southeasternportion of the basin at this time.

A verification of all water rights in theSnake River Basin, for both surface andground waters, is being conducted for theSnake River Basin Adjudication. The IDWRis responsible for the verification process,including field examinations. A finaldetermination of each claim is theresponsibility of the SRBA Court, located inTwin Falls.

The SRBA verification of claims in theLittle Salmon River basin for all uses otherthan de minimus domestic and/or stockwater is scheduled for 2004, with IDWR’srecommendations to be submitted to thecourt in early 2005 (Warntjes 1998, Kelly2000). Included in this verification will beclaims on Granite Twin Lakes, Goose LakeReservoir, and Brundage Reservoir, allimportant water storage facilities in theupper end of the basin.

Three Indian tribes, the Nez Perce, theShoshone-Bannock, and the Shoshone-Pauite, along with the United States Bureauof Indian Affairs, have filed claims forinstream flows throughout the basin. Thevalidity of these claims will be determinedthrough negotiated settlements between theTribes and the State of Idaho, or bylegislature, or the SRBA court.


Other filings in the SRBA include claims forrights to flood waters that have not beenpreviously recorded with the IDWR. TheSRBA court will determine the validity andextent of these claims.

Volume and Season of UseWater stored in reservoirs may be used tosupplement water from a flowing stream(natural flow rights), depending on validwater rights, water availability, and otherfactors. Generally, irrigation water fromstorage facilities is not used until later in theseason when stream flows have decreased.Use from a particular source may depend onweather conditions such as temperature andprecipitation, or on traditional practices. It isdifficult to determine with certainty howmuch water is diverted from specifictributaries because of these variableirrigation patterns. Inadequacy or lack ofmeasuring devices may compound theproblem, especially in drainages where thereis no organized water district andwatermaster to properly measure diversionsand manage water use. In the Little SalmonRiver basin there are only two organizedwater districts with watermasters; Big Creek(78-A), and Goose Creek (78-C). However,it is possible to estimate water use based onestimated irrigated acres, and water useallowed by IDWR.

The IDWR designates standard irrigationseasons of use for different areas of thestate. The standards are based on the mostwater-consumptive crop in the area, and takeinto account climate and elevation data(Peppersack 1999). For the majority of theLittle Salmon River basin agriculture lands,the irrigation season is from April 1 toOctober 31 of each year. The lowerelevation portion of the basin has a longerseason, from February 15 to November 30.

In addition to designating seasons of use,IDWR also calculates the volume of waternecessary for diversion to grow crops overthe course of a specific irrigation season.Some of this water, between 25 and 33percent, is assumed to return to the system,either through percolation into the groundwater or surface runoff.

The estimated field headgate requirementfor diversion of water in the upper basin(including Round Valley Creek) is threeacre-feet of water per acre during theirrigation season. For the lower basin, fouracre-feet per acre is required during theirrigation season. Using this field headgaterequirement, the estimated 15,100 acresirrigated in the upper basin would need45,300 acre-feet per year. For the estimated1,300 acres irrigated in the lower basin,5,200 acre-feet of water would be needed,for a total of about 50,500 acre-feet per yearin the basin. The actual water use isunknown since it is based on all existingwater rights and the annual use of each right.The actual water use cannot be determineduntil the formation of water districts withwatermasters throughout the basin or thecompletion of the basin adjudication process(SRBA).

4.2.3 Irrigation

Surface WaterNearly all irrigation in the Little SalmonRiver basin is accomplished with the use ofsurface water in gravity flood or gated pipesystems. These systems operate by means ofa physical barrier in the stream that directswater into a canal or ditch. Smaller ditchesor laterals run from the main ditch tospecific properties, where even smallerditches may diverge. Soil, rock, or canvasdams, or small headgates divert the waterinto gated pipes or ditches. The water is thendirected out over the fields. Water floodsover the ground to irrigate the crop. Excesswater percolates down into the ground orruns down-gradient over the ground to adrainage ditch or natural drainage way.

Upper BasinAbout 92 percent of the irrigated acres in theLittle Salmon River basin are locatedupstream of the confluence of Round ValleyCreek and Little Salmon River. The majorityof these 18,500 acres are irrigated withwater from Twin Granite Reservoir, GooseLake Reservoir, and Brundage Reservoir(Idaho Department of Water Resources1998). These three storage facilities are in


the headwaters of Goose Creek and itstributary, Brundage Creek.

Goose Lake Reservoir is the oldest of thethree facilities. It was originally constructedin 1919 to irrigate 4,800 acres in MeadowsValley. The height of the dam was increasedin 1924, in 1931-32, and in 1951. Thereservoir’s current capacity is 6,550 acre-feet, with a surface area of 386 acres; itscatchment area is about 8.3 square miles(Goose Lake Dam and Reservoir OperationPlan 1996). The earth embankment dam isnow 27 feet high, with a hydraulic height of21 feet, 1,250 feet long, and is classified as alarge size, high-risk dam by the IDWR,because of its location above residentialdevelopment in the valley. There are noinstrumentation or monitoring devices onthe dam. Visual inspections are conductedweekly when the reservoir is filling in thespring, and every other day during theirrigation season. Goose Lake Reservoir isfilled during spring runoff, and is usually atcapacity by late May or early June. Releasesusually start by the end of June to meetirrigation water rights in the valley. Themaximum discharge at full pool is 80 cubicfeet per second (Goose Lake Dam andReservoir Operation Plan 1996).

Twin Granite Reservoir is located about twomiles upstream of Goose Lake Reservoir.Twin Granite is an earthen dam, originallyconstructed in 1920 to store water forirrigation purposes. In 1958, all of theprevious cribbing was removed and a cut-offtrench dug down to bedrock. The dam isnow 20 feet high, with a crest length of 620feet plus an additional 160-foot dike.Draining 0.6 square miles, the reservoir hasa 600 acre-foot capacity. There is no writtenoperation plan for the reservoir. The damoutlet is opened in the fall, and water is notstored until spring run-off is well underway.Water is released after spring run-off, whenspace is available in Goose Lake Reservoir.The maximum discharge is 19 cubic feet persecond (Dam Summary Sheet 1999a).

Brundage Reservoir was originally built as aWork Progress Administration project in1936. The earth embankment dam was

replaced and enlarged in 1987 as a cost-sharing project (sponsored by the AdamsSoil Conservation District) with the localusers, the Idaho Water Resource Board, andthe Soil Conservation Service. The dam isnow 92 feet long and 63 feet high, with ahydraulic height of 56.5 feet. Located at6,238 feet above mean sea level, it has acapacity of 7,330 acre-feet and a surfacearea of 270 acres. The reservoir usually fillssometime between late May and early July.Releases of water start in late June andcontinue through early September. Per anagreement worked out between BrundageWater Users Association and the U.S. ForestService in May 1985, the U.S. ForestService now holds a 500 acre-foot waterright in Brundage Reservoir, with thedesignated beneficial use being recreationstorage. The water is maintained by theForest Service as a conservation pool year-around for fish and wildlife habitat.

At full pool, the maximum release is 291cubic feet per second (Dam Summary sheet1999b). The IDWR has classified BrundageDam as a large size, high-risk dam and hasan automated, piezometric seepagemonitoring system. The embankment,drains, and spillway are also inspected everyother day during the irrigation season. Whilefilling in the spring time, the dam isinspected weekly. There is also a NaturalResources Conservation Service SNOTELsite adjacent to the reservoir that is used formonitoring the water content of snow andrun-off conditions. In addition, the damowners must complete an annual writteninspection report. The Idaho Department ofWater Resources and the U.S. Forest Serviceinspect the dam bi-annually (Brundage Damand Reservoir Operation Plan 1996).

Lower BasinAbout eight percent of the irrigated acres inthe Little Salmon River basin are locateddownstream of the confluence of RoundValley Creek. Water right records on filewith the IDWR indicate that approximately1,300 acres of irrigation are from varioussurface water sources.

4.1.5 cultural resources - idaho · pdf fileseven square miles along the eastern margin of the...

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