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22-534: Its headwaters originate in the Selkirk Mountains , and flow in a southerly direction to the river's mouth at the northern tip of Lake Pend Oreille . It is the second largest tributary to the lake, after the Clark Fork River . The Pack River basin drains approximately 185,600 acres (751 km). Watershed elevation ranges from a high of 7,550 feet (2,300 m) to a low point of 2,050 feet (620 m) at

44-568: A mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle , eastern Washington , and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains . They begin at Mica Peak and Krell Hill near Spokane and extend approximately 320 km north (200 miles) from the border to Kinbasket Lake , at the now-deserted location of the onetime fur company post, Boat Encampment . The range

66-552: A mid-river gage is 344 cubic feet per second (9.7 m/s), with the highest mean monthly flows occurring in May (939 ft³/s) and the lowest mean monthly flow in September (54.7 ft³/s). Peak river flows for a 100-year event exceed 4,150 cubic feet per second (118 m/s). Pack River and its tributaries often experience more than one run-off event per year. Mid-winter rain-on-snow events can result in rapid snow melt, and in some years

88-547: A variety of hawks and owls, migratory songbirds and waterfowl, several species of game birds, and many other wetland species. Near the mouth of the river is the Pack River Flats Wildlife Management Area managed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, located 9 miles (14 km) east-northeast of the town of Sandpoint and 4 miles (6 km) northwest of the town of Hope . The Pack River Flats

110-761: Is bounded on its west, northeast and at its northern extremity by the Columbia River , or the reservoir lakes now filling most of that river's course. From the Columbia's confluence with the Beaver River , they are bounded on their east by the Purcell Trench , which contains the Beaver River, Duncan River , Duncan Lake , Kootenay Lake and the Kootenay River . The Selkirks are distinct from, and geologically older than,

132-411: Is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Canada geese nest on the platforms in the marsh. Geese, swans, and ducks congregate here in spring and fall during their migration. This area also provides public access to wildlife viewing, hunting, and fishing. The Pack River Flats is important ecologically to moose, deer, elk, and waterfowl. Although there is currently no active eagle nesting here, eagles come to

154-485: Is located on the site of a natural waterfall named Albeni Falls, named after early pioneer Albeni Poirier . Construction on the dam began in 1951 and was completed in 1955 at a cost of $ 34 million ($ 261 million in 2007 dollars). It produces over 200 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year for the Bonneville Power Administration and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . The dam

176-634: Is the biggest, followed by Rapid Lightning Creek, Jeru Creek, and Hellroaring Creek. These along with the West Branch of the Pack River are the crucial streams forming the River's size. The underlying geology in the Pack River watershed is largely granitic, which decomposes into fine particles. Glaciation in the Pack River valley formed ice dams upstream of the confluence of many tributaries, resulting in large deposits of glacial till. Fine sandy sediments deposited in

198-610: The Rocky Mountains . The neighboring Monashee and Purcell Mountains , and sometimes including the Cariboo Mountains to the northwest, are also part of the larger grouping of mountains known as the Columbia Mountains . A scenic highway loop, the International Selkirk Loop , encircles the southern portions of the mountain range. The Selkirks were named after Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk . In 1857 gold

220-408: The Pack River watershed include the wolverine , fisher , northern goshawk , and the white-winged crossbill . Other relatively abundant wildlife species that rely on this watershed include westslope cutthroat and brook trout , kokanee salmon , white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, elk, black bear, mountain lion, mountain goat, river otter, mink, muskrat, beaver, osprey, peregrine falcon, turtles,

242-521: The Selkirk Mountains was the home of the last naturally occurring caribou herd in the contiguous United States , the South Selkirk mountain caribou. The herd was cross boundary, spending some time in extreme northern Idaho , eastern Washington , and British Columbia , Canada. The South Selkirk mountain caribou is a woodland mountain caribou , an ecotype of the boreal woodland caribou , one of

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264-592: The Selkirks. This area, some of it protected in Washington's Salmo-Priest Wilderness , is also home to mule deer and white-tailed deer , elk , black bears , cougars , bobcats , red fox , bald eagles , golden eagles , osprey , great blue heron , porcupine , badgers , coyote , martens , bighorn sheep , mountain goats, gray wolves and moose . Formerly rarely seen, grizzly bears are also known to roam through this region now in abundance. The southern end of

286-531: The area in the winter to feed on carrion and waterfowl. Before completion of Albeni Falls Dam on the Pend Oreille River in 1952, the lake level dropped after the spring runoff. Pack River Flats was a natural meadow then, and archaeological evidence suggests that it was historically an important site for Native Americans. The Pack River supports numerous recreational pursuits. Fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and river floating are common activities. To protect

308-453: The dammed water are known as glacial fluvial deposits. These sandy areas today appear on mountain side slopes, forming very erosive soils. Because of the high potential for sediment delivery to the Pack River, land use practices such as road building, timber harvesting, grazing, agriculture, and residential development must be carefully managed. Any loss of riparian vegetation and associated root masses can result in delivery of fine sediment to

330-562: The female caribou in Canada and moved her to a captive rearing pen near Revelstoke in the hopes of "preserving highly endangered herds". According to the AAAS, it is believed that this female caribou is the "last member of the last herd to regularly cross into the lower 48 states from Canada". The 10 highest peaks Albeni Falls Dam Albeni Falls Dam is located on the Pend Oreille River between Oldtown, Idaho , and Priest River, Idaho . It

352-566: The heart of the Selkirks were among the first national parks created in Canada, along with Yoho and Banff National Parks in the Rockies. Until the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway via the Rogers Pass , automotive traffic between most of British Columbia and the rest of Canada necessarily was forced to follow the path of the Columbia River via its Big Bend , around the north end of

374-410: The lake, with a basin-wide average elevation of 3,730 ft. The upper portion of the watershed is mostly forested, and managed by the U.S. Forest Service . The lower watershed is under mixed public and private ownership, and supports a variety of uses. Mean annual precipitation in the basin is 35.8 inches (910 mm), much of which falls as winter snow in the mountains. Mean annual river flow at

396-577: The most critically endangered mammals. In 2009 the herd of 50 animals was declining. Predation from wolves that had been reintroduced to the area negatively effected the herd, and by April 2018, only three remained, and in January 2019, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced in its scientific journal, Science , that British Columbia's provincial biologists captured

418-421: The peak flow from tributary watersheds occurs during these events. Following the 56,000 acres (230 km) Sundance wildfire in 1967, removal of the forest canopy was hypothesized to have produced an increase in annual stream flow from the basin and an advance of the peak flows by virtue of decreased transpiration losses and earlier snowmelt runoff generation. The Pack River has about 34 tributaries. Grouse Creek

440-592: The river environment and reduce conflicts with other recreationists, motorized watercraft are prohibited above the Highway 200 bridge. In the watershed, hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, rock climbing, and wildlife viewing opportunities abound. The Pack River Watershed Council was formed in 2001 to coordinate watershed restoration projects along the river. [1] 48°19′06″N 116°22′50″W  /  48.31833°N 116.38056°W  / 48.31833; -116.38056 Selkirk Mountains The Selkirk Mountains are

462-679: The stream channel. The Pack River watershed is home to a number of species protected by the Endangered Species Act . Bull trout , a threatened species, hatch in the upper river, and migrate the length of the river to grow upwards of 30 inches in Lake Pend Oreille before returning as adults to spawn again in the upper river. Terrestrial species found here include the endangered woodland caribou and grey wolf , and threatened species grizzly bear , Canada lynx , and bald eagle . Idaho wildlife species of special concern supported by

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484-550: Was discovered in the Selkirks. Coal , copper , marble , mercury , silver , and zinc were also found in the mountains. During the development of Western Canada , the Selkirks presented a formidable barrier to the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway , until A.B. Rogers discovered the mountain pass that bears his name in 1881–1882. As a result of the railway's construction via that route, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks (Canada) in

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