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171-685: Salmon Falls is the series of falls on the Snake River , in Twin Falls County, Idaho , comprising the Upper Salmon Falls and Lower Salmon Falls , near Hagerman . The Upper Salmon Falls are about 40 miles West of Shoshone Falls , in between Gooding County and Twin Falls County, Idaho , USA. It is situated ≈ 25 miles below Anger Falls. Lower Salmon Falls is about 5 miles downstream from Upper Salmon Falls. The Lower Falls have been cut off by

342-503: A Chicago, Burlington & Quincy connection opened via Cody and in 1908 a Union Pacific Railroad connection to West Yellowstone, followed by a 1927 Milwaukee Road connection to Gallatin Gateway near Bozeman , also motorcoaching visitors via West Yellowstone. Rail visitation fell off considerably by World War II and ceased regular service in favor of the automobile around the 1960s, though special excursions occasionally continued into

513-469: A New Deal relief agency for young men, played a major role between 1933 and 1942 in developing Yellowstone facilities. CCC projects included reforestation, campground development of many of the park's trails and campgrounds, trail construction, fire hazard reduction, and fire-fighting work. The CCC built the majority of the early visitor centers, campgrounds, and the current system of park roads. During World War II, tourist travel fell sharply, staffing

684-593: A Shoshone war party attacked a wagon train in the Boise Valley, and the U.S. Army mounted a counterattack, the Winnas Expedition . The situation became so unstable that Fort Boise was abandoned, and the Army had to escort wagon trains through the area. While early settlers had simply passed through this area on their way to Oregon, gold strikes brought renewed interest in the 1860s. The Army rebuilt Fort Boise further east of

855-460: A U.S. Army detachment commanded by Lt.  Gustavus Doane . The expedition spent about a month exploring the region, collecting specimens, and naming sites of interest. A Montana writer and lawyer named Cornelius Hedges, who had been a member of the Washburn expedition, proposed that the region should be set aside and protected as a national park; he wrote detailed articles about his observations for

1026-721: A UN World Heritage Site on September 8, 1978. The park was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1995 to 2003 due to the effects of tourism, infection of wildlife, and issues with invasive species . In 2010, Yellowstone National Park was honored with its own quarter under the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. Justin Farrell explores three moral sensibilities that motivated activists in dealing with Yellowstone. First came

1197-401: A comprehensive report, including large-format photographs by William Henry Jackson and paintings by Thomas Moran . The report helped to convince the U.S. Congress to withdraw this region from public auction . On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed The Act of Dedication law that created Yellowstone National Park. Hayden, while not the only person to have thought of creating

1368-437: A fierce furnace fire were burning beneath each one of them; and a hundred geysers, white torrents of boiling water and steam, like inverted waterfalls, are ever and anon rushing up out of the hot, black underworld. By 1915, 1,000 automobiles per year were entering the park, resulting in conflicts with horses and horse-drawn transportation. Horse travel on roads was eventually prohibited. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC),

1539-519: A group of fur trappers . After splitting up with the other trappers in 1807, Colter passed through a portion of what later became the park, during the winter of 1807–1808. He observed at least one geothermal area in the northeastern section of the park, near Tower Fall . After surviving wounds he suffered in a battle with members of the Crow and Blackfoot tribes in 1809, Colter described a place of " fire and brimstone " that most people dismissed as delirium;

1710-518: A large network of canals and pump stations. The Minidoka Project would eventually bring water to a million acres (2,500 km ) of the Magic Valley. During World War II, many Japanese Americans interned at Minidoka were made to work on the project. The Boise Project , which would ultimately water 500,000 acres (200,000 ha) in and around the Boise Valley, was another major early reclamation undertaking. At its completion, Arrowrock Dam (1915) on

1881-667: A minimum daily mean of 2,000 cu ft/s (57 m /s) on November 29, 1961. A historic June 1894 flood at the Ice Harbor site reached an estimated peak of 409,000 cu ft/s (11,600 m /s). In terms of discharge, the Snake River is the twelfth largest river in the United States, and it contributes about one-fifth of the Columbia's total outflow into the Pacific. The volume of

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2052-549: A mountain of glass and yellow rock. These reports were largely ignored because Bridger was a known "spinner of yarns". In 1859, a U.S. Army Surveyor named Captain William F. Raynolds embarked on a two-year survey of the southern central Rockies . After wintering in Wyoming, in May 1860, Raynolds and his party—which included geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden and guide Jim Bridger—attempted to cross

2223-419: A park in the region, was its first and most enthusiastic advocate. He believed in "setting aside the area as a pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and warned that there were those who would come and "make merchandise of these beautiful specimens". Worrying the area could face the same fate as Niagara Falls , he concluded the site should "be as free as the air or Water". In his report to

2394-505: A rapid, forcing their retreat. On the Snake River above Hells Canyon, several steamboats were built at great expense (as manufactured parts such as engines had to be hauled in overland), the first being the Shoshone in 1866. However, running the upper Snake proved unprofitable, due to lack of demand. The owners of Shoshone decided to move her to the lower Snake River, and in April 1870, they made

2565-533: A record high of 86,240 cu ft/s (2,442 m /s) in 1965, to a low of 27,890 cu ft/s (790 m /s) in 1997. In southern Idaho, Snake River flows are significantly influenced by the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer . One of the largest groundwater reserves in the US, the aquifer is founded in porous volcanic rock underneath the plain. It absorbs and stores large volumes of water from

2736-495: A semi-arid climate, with about 10 in (250 mm) of rain and 5 in (130 mm) of snow as measured at Ice Harbor Dam. January is the coldest month with a mean temperature of 34.3 °F (1.3 °C), and July is the hottest month at 74.6 °F (23.7 °C). Semi-arid shrubland and rangeland covers about 50 percent of the Snake River watershed. Natural vegetation is primarily sagebrush , mixed with wheatgrasses and bunchgrasses . About 30 percent of

2907-619: A series of lakes, enabling heavy barges to travel between the Columbia River and the Port of Lewiston. About 10 miles (16 km) downstream from Ice Harbor Dam, the Snake empties into the Columbia River at Burbank, Washington , southeast of the Tri-Cities . The confluence is located on Lake Wallula , the impoundment behind McNary Dam on the Columbia, 341 feet (104 m) above sea level. From there,

3078-567: A series of massive flood basalt events that engulfed the Columbia Basin and surrounding lands, reshaped the landscape and erased most evidence of the pre-volcanic river channels starting about 17 Ma. Erupting from fissures in the southern Columbia Basin, the first basalt flows pushed the ancient Salmon-Clearwater much further north than its present course. About 12–10 Ma, the Blue Mountains region began to experience uplift, raising

3249-478: A steep grade, was connected three years later. In addition to commerce, the railroad also opened the Snake River region – which just a few years ago had been seen as a remote, rough frontier – to recreation. The Union Pacific heavily promoted tourism in places like Shoshone Falls, Payette Lake and Soda Springs, Idaho . Countering the reputation of southern Idaho as a wasteland, a brochure described Shoshone Falls: "Shoshone differs from every other waterfall in this or

3420-761: A translation of the Hidatsa name Mi tsi a-da-zi ("Yellow Stone River"). Later, American trappers rendered the French name in English as "Yellow Stone". Although it is commonly believed that the river was named for the yellow rocks seen in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone , the Native American name source is unclear. The human history of the park began at least 11,000 years ago when Native Americans began to hunt and fish in

3591-563: Is January, with a mean temperature of 13 °F (−11 °C), and the hottest is July at 57.7 °F (14.3 °C). Twin Falls experiences a semi-arid climate , with about 9 in (230 mm) of rain and 13 in (330 mm) of snow. Monthly mean temperatures range from 29.4 °F (−1.4 °C) in January to 73.1 °F (22.8 °C) in July. The Columbia Basin around the river's mouth also has

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3762-530: Is a topographic feature that separates the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean water drainages. About one-third of the park lies on the west side of the divide. The origins of the Yellowstone and Snake Rivers are near each other but on opposite sides of the divide. As a result, the waters of the Snake River flow to the Pacific Ocean, while those of the Yellowstone find their way to the Gulf of Mexico . The park sits on

3933-541: Is believed to be linked to the somewhat older volcanism of the Snake River Plain. Yellowstone is thus the active part of a hotspot that has moved northeast over time. The origin of this hotspot volcanism is disputed. One theory holds that a mantle plume has caused the Yellowstone hotspot to migrate northeast, while another theory explains migrating hotspot volcanism as the result of the fragmentation and dynamics of

4104-528: Is joined from the left by the Tucannon River , then from the right by the Palouse River , which forms Palouse Falls about 8 miles (13 km) upstream of its confluence with the Snake. The Lower Snake River Project consists of four dams equipped with navigation locks – Lower Granite , Little Goose , Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor – which have transformed the once fast-flowing lower Snake River into

4275-584: Is one of the largest high-elevation lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera , the largest super volcano on the continent. The caldera is considered a dormant volcano . It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Well over half of the world's geysers and hydrothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of

4446-565: Is the largest and most famous megafauna location in the contiguous United States . Grizzly bears , cougars , wolves , and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in this park. The Yellowstone Park bison herd is the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States. Forest fires occur in the park each year; in the large forest fires of 1988 , nearly one-third of the park was burnt. Yellowstone has numerous recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping , boating , fishing, and sightseeing . Paved roads provide close access to

4617-419: Is up to 400 feet (120 m) deep and has 110 miles (180 km) of shoreline. At an elevation of 7,733 feet (2,357 m) above sea level, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America. Forests comprise 80 percent of the land area of the park; most of the rest is grassland . The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The divide

4788-427: The 2013 United States federal government shutdown . The expansive cultural history of the park has been documented by the 1,000 archeological sites that have been discovered. The park has 1,106 historic structures and features, and of these Obsidian Cliff and five buildings have been designated National Historic Landmarks . Yellowstone was designated an International Biosphere Reserve on October 26, 1976, and

4959-501: The Absaroka Range . The park is 63 miles (101 km) north to south, and 54 miles (87 km) west to east by air. Yellowstone is 2,219,789 acres (8,983 km ; 3,468 sq mi) in area, larger than either of the states of Rhode Island or Delaware . Rivers and lakes cover five percent of the land area, with the largest water body being Yellowstone Lake at 87,040 acres (352 km ; 136 sq mi). Yellowstone Lake

5130-662: The Basin and Range Province , such as the Independence and Albion Mountains . To the east are more ranges of the Rockies including the Tetons and the Wind River Range ; the latter includes Gannett Peak , the highest point in the Snake River basin at 13,816 feet (4,211 m). Surface volcanic features – such as lava fields, cones , and thermal springs – are replete in the southern part of

5301-691: The Cayuse against the Shoshone, Bannock and Northern Paiute, and stopped the latter from expanding their territory towards the Columbia Plateau. Both the Nez Perce and Shoshone acquired horses in the late 1600s or early 1700s, enabling far-reaching trade and hunting expeditions. With horses, the Nez Perce were able to travel east of the Bitterroot Mountains to hunt bison, via the trail over Lolo Pass , which

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5472-490: The Committee on Public Lands , he concluded that if the bill failed to become law, "the vandals who are now waiting to enter into this wonder-land, will in a single season despoil, beyond recovery, these remarkable curiosities, which have required all the cunning skill of nature thousands of years to prepare". Hayden and his 1871 party recognized Yellowstone as a unique place that should be available for further research. He also

5643-514: The Continental Divide over Two Ocean Plateau from the Wind River drainage in northwest Wyoming. Heavy spring snows prevented their passage but had they been able to traverse the divide, the party would have been the first organized survey to enter the Yellowstone region. The American Civil War hampered further organized explorations until the late 1860s. The first detailed expedition to

5814-487: The Fort Hall Indian Reservation on the Snake River in southeast Idaho. Tribal resistance would continue for years to come. In 1877 the US government attempted to force the remaining Nez Perce onto their reservation, at which point Chief Joseph's band and several others opted to seek refuge elsewhere. After a treacherous crossing of the Snake at Dug Bar, Hells Canyon on May 31, the Nez Perce were pursued by

5985-816: The Gallatin Range to the northwest, the Beartooth Mountains in the north, the Absaroka Range to the east, the Teton Range to the south, and the Madison Range to the west. The most prominent summit on the Yellowstone Plateau is Mount Washburn at 10,243 feet (3,122 m). Yellowstone National Park has one of the world's largest petrified forests , trees which were long ago buried by ash and soil and transformed from wood to mineral materials. This ash and other volcanic debris are believed to have come from

6156-609: The Grande Ronde River from the left. From the end of Hells Canyon at Asotin, Washington , it flows north to Lewiston, Idaho , where it is joined from the right by the Clearwater River , its largest tributary by volume. The Snake then turns sharply west to enter Washington. The final stretch of the Snake River flows through steep-sided valleys in the Palouse Hills of southeast Washington. Near Lyons Ferry State Park , it

6327-549: The Helena Herald newspaper between 1870 and 1871. Hedges essentially restated comments made in October 1865 by acting Montana Territorial Governor Thomas Francis Meagher , who had previously commented that the region should be protected. Others made similar suggestions. An 1871 letter to Ferdinand V. Hayden from Jay Cooke , a businessman who wanted to bring tourists to the region, encouraged him to mention it in his official report of

6498-598: The Henry's Fork Caldera and depositing the Mesa Falls Tuff . Each of the three climactic eruptions released vast amounts of ash that blanketed much of central North America, falling many hundreds of miles away. The amount of ash and gases released into the atmosphere probably caused significant impacts on world weather patterns and led to the extinction of some species, primarily in North America. A subsequent caldera-forming eruption occurred about 160,000 years ago. It formed

6669-594: The Lava Creek Tuff , a welded tuff geologic formation . The most violent known eruption, which occurred 2.1 million years ago, ejected 588 cu mi (2,450 km ) of volcanic material and created the rock formation known as the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff and the Island Park Caldera . A smaller eruption ejected 67 cu mi (280 km ) of material 1.3 million years ago, forming

6840-661: The Lower Salmon Falls Dam and most of it inundated by the reservoir. This Twin Falls County , Idaho state location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Snake River The river's watershed , which drains parts of six U.S. states , is situated between the Rocky Mountains to the north and east, the Great Basin to the south, and the Blue Mountains and Oregon high desert to

7011-643: The Mississippi Valley , indicating that a regular obsidian trade existed between local tribes and tribes farther east. When the Lewis and Clark Expedition entered present-day Montana in 1805 they encountered the Nez Perce , Crow , and Shoshone tribes who described to them the Yellowstone region to the south, but they chose not to investigate. In 1806, John Colter , a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, left to join

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7182-632: The Montana Trail providing access to gold strikes in Montana Territory. This crossed the Snake River by the Eagle Rock Ferry and later a bridge which the city of Idaho Falls would soon grow around. As the flow of settlers increased, the Nez Perce and their neighbors the Cayuse and Walla Walla came under pressure to cede portions of their territory. Tensions flared in 1855 after tribes were coerced into relinquishing huge amounts of territory in

7353-508: The North West Company near the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The following year, Mackenzie traveled up the Snake River and reached Boise Valley by making the first recorded river ascent of Hells Canyon. Mackenzie's goal was to bypass the arduous trek over the Blue Mountains. He wrote that "the passage by water is now proved to be safe and practicable for loaded boats, without one single carrying place or portage; therefore,

7524-513: The Palisades Dam forms Palisades Reservoir . From there it flows northwest through Swan Valley to join the Henrys Fork on an alluvial plain near Rexburg . The Henrys Fork is sometimes called the "North Fork" of the Snake River, while the section of the main Snake River above their confluence is sometimes called the "South Fork". Turning southwest, the river begins its long journey across

7695-590: The Powder and Burnt Rivers from the left. Continuing north, the river enters Hells Canyon , which slices between the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and the Blue Mountains of Oregon and Washington. The Hells Canyon Hydroelectric Complex includes the Brownlee , Oxbow and Hells Canyon Dams in the upper reaches of the canyon. Since its construction in 1967, Hells Canyon Dam has been the upriver limit for migrating salmon; in

7866-654: The Sea of Cortez ) and the Yellowstone and upper Missouri Rivers (part of the Mississippi River system which drains to the Gulf of Mexico ). On the north it borders the watersheds of the Clark Fork and Spokane Rivers , both part of the Columbia River system. To the northwest it borders several other tributary watersheds of the Columbia River, including those of the John Day and Umatilla Rivers . Fifty-four named tributaries of

8037-459: The Treaty of Walla Walla . In retaliation for Lt. Col. Edward Steptoe 's defeat at the 1858 Battle of Pine Creek , a force led by Col. George Wright entered the lower Snake River country in 1859 and constructed Fort Taylor at the confluence of the Tucannon River below present-day Starbuck, Washington . Over several months Wright fought the natives along the river, killing their horses and destroying stored food. The sternwheeler Colonel Wright

8208-448: The Yellowstone Plateau , at an average elevation of 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level. The plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges of the Middle Rocky Mountains , which range from 9,000 to 11,000 feet (2,700 to 3,400 m) in elevation. The highest point in the park is atop Eagle Peak (11,358 feet or 3,462 metres) and the lowest is along Reese Creek (5,282 feet or 1,610 metres). Nearby mountain ranges include

8379-433: The rain shadow effect of the Cascades , precipitation as a whole is scant, averaging 14 inches (360 mm) across the entire watershed. Most precipitation falls at higher elevations as snow, thus, most runoff in the Snake River watershed derives from snowmelt. Jackson Hole, Wyoming experiences an alpine climate with an average of 30 in (760 mm) of rain and 252 in (6,400 mm) of snow. The coldest month

8550-543: The subducted Farallon Plate in Earth's interior. The Yellowstone Caldera is the largest volcanic system in North America, and worldwide it is only rivaled by the Lake Toba Caldera on Sumatra . It has been termed a " supervolcano " because the caldera was formed by exceptionally large explosive eruptions. The magma chamber that lies under Yellowstone is estimated to be a single connected chamber, about 37 miles (60 km) long, 18 miles (29 km) wide, and 3 to 7 miles (4.8 to 11.3 km) deep. The current caldera

8721-426: The 1855 treaty. The US government sided with the settlers, and pressured some Nez Perce leaders into signing a second treaty which shrank their reservation by 90 percent. Many Nez Perce including Chief Joseph 's band refused to leave, calling the new treaty the "thief treaty". In March 1863, the Idaho Territory was split from Oregon, and Lewiston became its capital. More than 60,000 prospectors and others entered

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8892-460: The 1870s and 1880s, Native American tribes were effectively excluded from the national park. Under a half-dozen tribes had made seasonal use of the Yellowstone area- the only year-round residents were small bands of Eastern Shoshone known as " Sheepeaters ". They left the area under the assurances of a treaty negotiated in 1868, under which the Sheepeaters ceded their lands but retained the right to hunt in Yellowstone. The United States never ratified

9063-453: The 1950s, public agencies, tribal governments and private utilities have invested heavily in fishery restoration and hatchery programs, with limited success. The proposed removal of the four lower Snake River dams for fish passage is a significant ongoing policy debate in the Pacific Northwest. The Snake River begins on Two Oceans Plateau near the southern border of Yellowstone National Park , about 9,200 feet (2,800 m) above sea level in

9234-400: The Army for over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east, through Yellowstone before turning north through Montana, fighting several battles along the way. On October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph surrendered to US forces. thus ending the Nez Perce War . The survivors were distributed to various reservations across the western US. In 1878, an uprising occurred in response to overcrowding and food shortages at

9405-430: The Blue Mountains to bypass Hells Canyon and reach the lower Snake River. After the hazardous experience, Hunt gave it the name "Mad River". A group led by Robert Stuart , a member of the Hunt expedition, returned eastward across the plain the following year. The route they mapped would eventually become that section of the Oregon Trail . In 1818 Donald Mackenzie and Alexander Ross established Fort Nez Percés for

9576-479: The Boise Project. Palisades Dam was built in 1956, providing flood control and irrigation for the Snake River above Idaho Falls, an area which the Bureau of Reclamation had previously overlooked. Near Rexburg, the Teton Dam was also built to provide water for this area. In 1976, the Teton Dam failed catastrophically, killing eleven people and causing at least $ 400 million in damage along the Henrys Fork and Snake Rivers. The political fallout from this disaster marked

9747-435: The Boise River was the tallest dam in the world, and its construction process was an important prototype for future federal projects such as Hoover Dam . Starting around the 1950s, farmers made heavy use of the Snake River aquifer, bringing large new areas into production. Surface water development also increased with projects such as Cascade Dam (1948) and Anderson Ranch Dam (1950), which provided additional storage for

9918-432: The Boise Valley, and a new city quickly grew around the U.S. Army post at Fort Boise. With Hells Canyon impractical for river navigation, interest grew in connecting the area by rail. By 1884, the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company (later integrated into Union Pacific ) had connected Portland, Oregon , to the Union Pacific line at Granger, Wyoming , via Huntington and Pocatello . Boise, initially bypassed due to

10089-432: The Carey Act were in Idaho, and almost all of that utilized Snake River water. I. B. Perrine , who homesteaded near Shoshone Falls in the 1880s, went on to develop one of the most successful Carey Act projects. In 1900 Perrine filed a claim for water from the Snake River, and backed by significant private capital, oversaw the construction of Milner Dam and a canal system to irrigate some 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) of

10260-428: The Columbia Basin about 10.5 Ma, the Elephant Mountain basalt eruption forced the Salmon-Clearwater River into roughly its present course through southeast Washington. By 8.5 Ma the Salmon-Clearwater was established in the Columbia River's modern path through Wallula Gap , although the Columbia itself still flowed somewhere to the west. The last of the Columbia basalt flows occurred around 6 Ma; by then,

10431-452: The Columbia River flows another 325 miles (523 km) west to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has measured the discharge , or flow rate, of the Snake River at Ice Harbor Dam since 1962. The mean annual discharge for the 61-year period between 1962 and 2023 was 49,580 cubic feet per second (1,404 m /s), with a maximum recorded daily mean of 305,000 cu ft/s (8,600 m /s) on June 19, 1974, and

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10602-500: The Fort Hall Reservation, leading to the Bannock War . The US army defeated the Bannock and their Paiute allies and proceeded to restrict travel in and out of the reservation. While Lewiston was now well connected by river, travel to Boise and other points upstream on the Snake River remained difficult due to the formidable obstacle of Hells Canyon. In 1865, Thomas Stump attempted to pilot the Colonel Wright up Hells Canyon, making it 80 miles (130 km) upriver before hitting rocks in

10773-409: The Lewis and Clark expedition would later follow in order to reach the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The river's modern name comes from a misunderstanding of the Shoshone Tribal Sign in PISL . The Plains Indians referred to the Shoshone people as "Snake People", while the Shoshone are believed to have referred to themselves as "People of the River of Many Fish". However, the Shoshone sign for "salmon"

10944-483: The Lewiston Valley by 1863. Many new steamboats were pressed into service, including the Spray , Cascadilla , Tenino , Okanogan , and Nez Perce Chief . The river's rapids posed a major navigation hazard, and from November to April the river was generally too low for ships. Despite these challenges, the water transport of freight and passengers was greatly profitable. Up river, the Shoshone and other tribes were also becoming increasingly wary of settlers; in 1854

11115-437: The Nez Perce were friendly to the tourists and other people they encountered in the park; some were not. Nine park visitors were briefly taken captive. Despite Joseph and other chiefs ordering that no one should be harmed, at least two people were killed and several wounded. One of the areas where encounters occurred was in Lower Geyser Basin and east along a branch of the Firehole River to Mary Mountain and beyond. That stream

11286-407: The Nez Perces, who they visited again on their return trip in 1806. Other explorers quickly followed, many of them fur trappers who began scouting the upper Snake River watershed for beaver. John Colter , a former member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, explored the Jackson Hole area in 1808. In 1810, Andrew Henry explored and named the Henrys Fork of the Snake River. He established Fort Henry,

11457-412: The Oregon Trail reached the Snake River at Fort Hall, Idaho , and stayed south of the river until Three Island Crossing near modern-day Glenns Ferry . Here the trail diverged, with the northern route fording the river to reach the HBC trading post at Fort Boise while the southern route continued into what is now the eastern Oregon desert. While the northern route passed through more favorable country,

11628-436: The Park Protection Act, which saved the park. The Lacey Act of 1900 provided legal support for the officials prosecuting poachers. With the funding and manpower necessary to keep a diligent watch, the army developed its own policies and regulations that permitted public access while protecting park wildlife and natural resources. When the National Park Service was created in 1916, many of the management principles developed by

11799-456: The Rocky Mountains of Wyoming . From there, it flows west then south into Grand Teton National Park , where it feeds Jackson Lake , a natural glacial lake enlarged by Jackson Lake Dam . It flows south through the alpine valley of Jackson Hole , which is situated between the Teton Range (to the west) and the Gros Ventre Range . Below the town of Jackson it forms the Snake River Canyon of Wyoming , turns west and crosses into Idaho , where

11970-414: The Salmon River at what is now Salmon, Idaho , naming the stream "Lewis's River". Thwarted by the river's rapids, they were forced to cross the Bitterroot Mountains via the Nez Perce trail at Lolo Pass. After paddling down the Kooskooskee (Clearwater River), they reached the junction with the Snake and camped there with the Nez Perces on October 10, 1805. They correctly surmised that the river coming from

12141-428: The Snake River Plain and the Palouse, though the majority of the Snake River Plain is Bureau of Land Management land. The Snake River watershed borders several other major North American watersheds. To the south it borders the endorheic Great Basin , including the area draining to Utah's Great Salt Lake . To the east it borders the watersheds of the Green River (part of the Colorado River system which drains to

12312-469: The Snake River Plain between 600 and 1500 CE. By the time of first European contact, the Snake River watershed was populated by several Native American tribes. The territory of the Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) stretched across what is now north-central Idaho, southeast Washington and northeast Oregon, including much of the lower Snake River below Hells Canyon, most of the Clearwater and Grande Ronde River, and

12483-526: The Snake River Plain formed as the North American Plate moved westward over the Yellowstone hotspot. Upwelling magma caused the continental crust to rise, forming highlands in a similar fashion to the modern Yellowstone plateau and leaving behind enormous basalt flows in its wake. As the hotspot migrated east relative to the North American Plate, the land behind it collapsed and sank, creating

12654-539: The Snake River Plain, passing through Idaho Falls and receiving the Blackfoot River from the left before entering the 20-mile (32 km)-long American Falls Reservoir , formed by American Falls Dam . From American Falls it turns west, flowing through Minidoka Dam and Milner Dam , where large volumes of water are diverted for irrigation. Below Milner Dam it enters the Snake River Canyon of Idaho , where

12825-399: The Snake River Plain. Completed in 1905, the project was an immediate success. The rapid transformation of the barren landscape into productive farmland led to the moniker " Magic Valley ", and led to massive growth of the city of Twin Falls. During certain times of the year, almost all the Snake River's flow was diverted at Milner Dam, and since then, Shoshone Falls has regularly run dry in

12996-518: The Snake River drain more than 100 square miles (260 km ). Of these, the twelve listed below drain an area greater than 2,000 square miles (5,200 km ). The present-day course of the Snake River was pieced together over millions of years from several formerly disconnected drainage systems. Much of what would become the Pacific Northwest lay under shallow seas until it was uplifted starting about 60 million years ago (Ma). The outlet of

13167-476: The Snake River in the eastern Plain to re-emerge further west as springs in the Snake River Canyon. Water from the lost streams of Idaho , several rivers that disappear underground in the eastern Plain, travels through the aquifer to reach the Snake River, as does excess irrigation water absorbed into the ground. The major spring complexes at American Falls and Thousand Springs (near Hagerman, Idaho ) keep

13338-567: The Snake River peaks in late spring and early summer as snow melts in the Rocky Mountains, and reaches its lowest point in the fall. Despite the numerous dams regulating its flow, its discharge into the Columbia remains highly seasonal. At Ice Harbor Dam, the mean monthly discharge is highest in May and June at over 100,000 cu ft/s (2,800 m /s), and lowest in September and October at less than 25,000 cu ft/s (710 m /s). Mean annual discharge also fluctuates significantly, from

13509-466: The Snake River posed a formidable barrier; during high water, many travelers were forced to take the hot, dry southern route, or risk drowning. Travelers going via Fort Boise had to cross the river one more time to rejoin the trail heading west. A ferry existed at Fort Boise since at least 1843; the Three Island crossing was also replaced by a ferry in 1869. A new wave of travelers came in the 1860s with

13680-477: The Snake River took several thousand salmon in one afternoon by means of spears." To the east and upriver of the falls, many Shoshone and Bannock lived in more nomadic groups, traveling to the falls during the spring salmon run then gathering camas bulbs and hunting bison through the summer and autumn months. The Snake River at Hells Canyon formed a natural dividing line between the Nez Perce and Shoshone, who considered each other enemies. The Nez Perce allied with

13851-541: The Snake headwaters was sculpted by multiple Ice Age glaciations. Starting about 200,000 years ago, the Buffalo glaciation filled Jackson Hole to a depth of 2,000 feet (610 m). Ice flowed down the Snake River Canyon all the way to Idaho. The Bull Lake glaciation, about 80,000–35,000 years ago, and the Pinedale glaciation, ending about 15,000 years ago, were much smaller and did not fill the entire valley. These glaciations carved

14022-423: The Snake watershed touches Montana for a long distance, but does not extend into it. The Snake drains by far the largest area of any Columbia River tributary, making up about 40 percent of the entire Columbia River watershed. Compared with the Columbia above their confluence, the Snake River is about 180 miles (290 km) longer and drains a similarly sized area, though the Columbia carries more than twice

14193-527: The Snake watershed, from Craters of the Moon National Monument northeast of Twin Falls to the Yellowstone caldera, while ancient lava flows of the Columbia River basalts underlie the western part of the watershed. The Snake River Plain is the largest area without mountains, but it still features rugged terrain, being crisscrossed by canyons formed by the Snake River and its tributaries. Due to

14364-647: The Snake, Clearwater and Salmon Rivers. Clans gathered at communal fishing sites starting about May or June. Fishing moved from the lower rivers to higher elevation streams throughout the summer, while fall-run fish were preserved for winter use. Shoshones in the western part of the Snake River Plain also depended heavily on the salmon run. At Shoshone Falls and the smaller cataracts downstream, fishing platforms, temporary brush weirs, spears, baskets and fish traps were employed at large scale. Captain Benjamin Bonneville in 1832 observed that "Indians at Salmon Falls on

14535-587: The Tetons, and a graben valley developed between the Hoback and Teton fault zones, creating Jackson Hole. As the valley dropped, water filled it to create Lake Teewinot, which drained east into the Green River – Colorado River system. About 1 Ma, the Snake River captured the Jackson Hole watershed, draining Lake Teewinot and finally connecting the modern-day Snake headwaters to the rest of the river. This landscape around

14706-539: The West Coast. While dam construction, commercial fishing and other human activities have greatly reduced anadromous fish populations since the late 19th century, the Snake River watershed is still considered important habitat for these fish. The Snake and its tributary, the Salmon River , host the longest sockeye salmon run in the world, stretching 900 miles (1,400 km) from the Pacific to Redfish Lake , Idaho. Since

14877-791: The Yellowstone area was the Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition of 1869, which consisted of three privately funded explorers. The Folsom party followed the Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake. The members of the Folsom party kept a journal and based on the information it reported, a party of Montana residents organized the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition in 1870. It was headed by the surveyor-general of Montana Henry Washburn , and included Nathaniel P. Langford (who later became known as "National Park" Langford) and

15048-457: The Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years, aside from visits by mountain men during the early-to-mid-19th century, organized exploration did not begin until the late 1860s. Management and control of the park originally fell under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the Interior , the first Secretary of the Interior to supervise the park being Columbus Delano . However, the U.S. Army

15219-529: The adjacent Seven Devils Mountains rising up to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above the river, Hells Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in North America, almost one-third deeper than the Grand Canyon . Within the canyon it is joined from the left by the Imnaha River , then from the right by its longest tributary, the Salmon River . Further north, it begins to form the Idaho– Washington border, and receives

15390-474: The administrative records of Yellowstone, as well as resource management records, records from major projects, and donated manuscripts and personal papers. The archives are affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration . Yellowstone National Park occupies a roughly square parcel of volcanic complex that jogs slightly beyond the northwestern corner of Wyoming. Approximately 96 percent of

15561-509: The ancestral Columbia River to the Pacific was established about 40 Ma. By about 17 Ma, the "Salmon-Clearwater River", or the modern day lower Snake River, flowed west into the Columbia and on to the Pacific. Another ancient river system drained what is now the western Snake River Plain. Some geologists propose that this flowed to the Columbia on a course south of the present-day Blue Mountains, while others propose it drained towards Northern California . The Columbia River basalts ,

15732-600: The army were adopted by the new agency. The army turned control over to the National Park Service on October 31, 1918. In 1898, the naturalist John Muir described the park as follows: However orderly your excursions or aimless, again and again amid the calmest, stillest scenery you will be brought to a standstill hushed and awe-stricken before phenomena wholly new to you. Boiling springs and huge deep pools of purest green and azure water, thousands of them, are plashing and heaving in these high, cool mountains as if

15903-417: The basalt layers to form a plateau. From about 11–9 Ma, crustal deformation related to the Yellowstone hotspot caused the western half of the Snake River Plain to sink, creating a graben -type valley between parallel fault zones to the northeast and southwest. The outlet of the ancient Snake River was blocked, and water accumulated to form the vast Lake Idaho starting about 10 Ma. The eastern half of

16074-578: The command of George Armstrong Custer , was assigned to organize and lead an expedition to Montana and the newly established Yellowstone Park. Observations about the lawlessness and exploitation of park resources were included in Ludlow's Report of a Reconnaissance to the Yellowstone National Park . The report included letters and attachments by other expedition members, including naturalist and mineralogist George Bird Grinnell . Grinnell documented

16245-588: The creation of the Reclamation Service (now the Bureau of Reclamation ) in 1902, the federal government began to play a more direct role in water resources development. The expansive Minidoka Project was the first federal reclamation project in Idaho. Starting with Minidoka Dam in 1906, the project would grow over the next few decades to include major reservoirs at Jackson Lake , American Falls and Island Park , and

16416-441: The distinctive peaks of the Tetons into their present form and scoured lake basins in the valley floor, including modern-day Jackson Lake. While the Snake River course beyond Jackson Hole was not directly impacted by glaciations, its landscape was dramatically changed by Ice Age flooding events. About 30,000 years ago, the climate of western North America was much wetter than today. The Great Salt Lake Basin filled with water to form

16587-590: The doubtful question is set at rest forever. Yet from the force of the current and the frequency of rapids, it may still be advisable, and perhaps preferable, to continue the land transport." Canadian fur trappers with the British Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) reached the Snake River watershed in 1819. As American fur trappers kept coming to the region, the HBC ordered the Canadians to kill as many beavers as they could, under

16758-608: The early 1980s. Ongoing poaching and destruction of natural resources continued unabated until the U.S. Army arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs in 1886 and built Camp Sheridan . Over the next 22 years, as the army constructed permanent structures, Camp Sheridan was renamed Fort Yellowstone . On May 7, 1894, the Boone and Crockett Club , acting through the personality of George G. Vest, Arnold Hague, William Hallett Phillips, W. A. Wadsworth, Archibald Rogers, Theodore Roosevelt , and George Bird Grinnell were successful in carrying through

16929-505: The easily farmable land was soon developed, and they could not raise the capital for further expansion. In addition, low water by late summer posed a challenge to farmers, and the irrigation companies could not afford to build dams to provide water storage. With many private irrigation companies verging on insolvency, the federal government began to explore programs assisting agricultural development. The 1894 Carey Act granted large tracts of dry federal land to western states, which then sold

17100-511: The end of large new irrigation developments not only for the Snake River system, but for the Bureau of Reclamation as a whole. Agriculture has significantly impacted water quality in the Snake River upstream of Hells Canyon. Water removed from the river for irrigation becomes contaminated with chemical fertilizers and manure, and percolates into the Snake River Aquifer. Pollutants collect in

17271-659: The federal land-use restrictions. After the park's official formation, Nathaniel Langford was appointed as the park's first superintendent in 1872 by the Secretary of Interior Columbus Delano , the first overseer and controller of the park. Langford served for five years but was denied a salary, funding, and staff. Langford lacked the means to improve the land or properly protect the park, and without formal policy or regulations, he had few legal methods to enforce such protection. This left Yellowstone vulnerable to poachers , vandals , and others seeking to raid its resources. He addressed

17442-430: The fires, leading to a systematic re-evaluation of fire management policies. The fire season of 1988 was considered normal until a combination of drought and heat by mid-July contributed to an extreme fire danger. On " Black Saturday ", August 20, 1988, strong winds expanded the fires rapidly, and more than 150,000 acres (610 km ; 230 sq mi) burned. On October 1, 2013, Yellowstone National Park closed due to

17613-442: The first American fur trading post west of the Rocky Mountains, but abandoned it after that year's harsh winter. The 1811 Pacific Fur Company expedition led by Wilson Price Hunt attempted to find a route from Henrys Fork to the Columbia River. After suffering a wreck in the falls of the Snake River Canyon, they took an overland route through the Snake River Plain, through what is now the Boise Valley or Treasure Valley, then crossed

17784-555: The first non-natives to see the river. Fur trappers explored more of the watershed, and drove beaver to near extinction as the Americans and British vied for control of Oregon Territory . Although travelers on the Oregon Trail initially shunned the dry and rocky Snake River region, a flood of settlers followed gold discoveries in the 1860s, leading to decades of military conflict and the eventual expulsion of tribes to reservations. At

17955-474: The first successful river descent of Hells Canyon, a harrowing ride that skirted disaster several times. In 1895 the steamboat Norma , which had been built to haul copper ore on the Snake River above Hells Canyon, also made the run under similar circumstances. In the 1870s, Boise (to which Idaho's capital was moved in 1866) expanded rapidly as growth slowed in Lewiston. Gold drew more than 25,000 prospectors to

18126-576: The geographic depression of the eastern Snake River Plain. The gradual eastward migration of this topographic high had the effect of pushing the Continental Divide to the east. Prior to the formation of the eastern Snake River Plain, the drainage area east of about Arco, Idaho – the modern headwaters and upper course of the Snake River – flowed towards the Atlantic Ocean via the Mississippi River system. The migrating Continental Divide tilted

18297-457: The groundwater and eventually enter the river via spring flows. Excess nitrogen, phosphorus and bacterial loads occur in many locations across southern Idaho. Large algae blooms are a recurring issue in summer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established water quality guidelines for Snake River flows entering Hells Canyon, which cover bacteria, mercury, excess nutrients, pesticides, sediments and water temperature. Implementation of

18468-591: The guidelines include best management practices for agriculture and forestry, and regular water quality monitoring. Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho . It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress through the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone

18639-567: The hemp weed". Another Nez Perce name for the Snake River was Pikúunen , specifically referring to the stretch upstream of the Clearwater confluence. The Wanapum and Walla Walla people called the lower Snake River below the Clearwater Naxíyam Wána . The Shoshone called the river Yampapah , after the yampah plant that grew profusely along its banks. Downriver of Shoshone Falls, salmon and their cousins such as steelhead trout – anadromous fish which spend their adult lives in

18810-615: The land area of Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem , the largest remaining nearly intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone . In 1978, Yellowstone was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians have been documented, including several that are either endangered or threatened . The vast forests and grasslands also include unique species of plants. Yellowstone Park

18981-454: The land to farmers and solicited private investors to organize irrigation districts. Investors would then recoup their capital by selling water rights to farmers. Irrigation plans were reviewed by engineers, who determined the economic feasibility of the projects. Although the Carey Act saw little success in most states, it greatly benefited Idaho. Some 60 percent of all lands developed under

19152-457: The landscape of the Snake River Plain, creating the Snake River Canyon and its waterfalls, vast boulder fields, cliffs and coulees . The floodwaters then emptied through Hells Canyon; however, most evidence of their effects on the lower Snake River was erased by the much larger Missoula Floods that engulfed the Columbia Basin during the same period. Caused by the repeated collapse of an ice dam in western Montana, dozens of floods overflowed into

19323-408: The largest North American runs of salmon and other anadromous fish . For thousands of years, salmon fishing has played a central role in the culture and diet of indigenous peoples. The Shoshone and Nez Perce were the largest of several tribes that lived along the river by the turn of the 19th century. In 1805, while searching for a route from the eastern US to the Pacific, Lewis and Clark became

19494-469: The laws of the United States, and dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people; and all persons who shall locate, or settle upon, or occupy the same or any part thereof, except as hereinafter provided, shall be considered trespassers and removed there from ... Approved March 1, 1872. Signed by: There was considerable local opposition to Yellowstone National Park during its early years. Some of

19665-420: The locals feared that the regional economy would be unable to thrive if there remained strict federal prohibitions against resource development or settlement within park boundaries and local entrepreneurs advocated reducing the size of the park so that mining, hunting, and logging activities could be developed. To this end, numerous bills were introduced into Congress by Montana representatives who sought to remove

19836-515: The lower Salmon River. The Northern Shoshone and the Bannock , a Northern Paiute group that became culturally associated with the Shoshone, occupied an area stretching from the Snake River Plain east to the Rocky Mountains and south towards the Great Basin, as well as valleys of the upper Salmon River. A Nez Perce name for the river was Kimooenim or variations thereof, meaning "the stream/place of

20007-481: The lower Snake River from the north, backing water as far upstream as Lewiston. The formerly west-flowing Palouse River was rerouted to flow south into the Snake River, forming Palouse Falls, whose outsized plunge pool attests to the force of the floods. Starting around the end of the last glacial period, the Snake River Plain was inhabited by hunter-gatherers of the ancient Clovis (10000–9000 BCE), Folsom (9000–8000 BCE) and Plano (8600–5800 BCE) cultures. Along

20178-603: The lower Snake River in Washington, the Marmes Rockshelter – flooded in 1968 after the construction of Lower Monumental Dam – has yielded archeological evidence of continuous human occupation from about 9000 BCE until about 1300 CE. Starting about 2200 BCE, people in the western Snake River basin began to adopt a semi-sedentary lifestyle, with an increased reliance on fish (primarily salmon) and food preservation and storage. Shoshoni -speaking peoples arrived in

20349-469: The lower one-fourth of its course. By the time it reaches Hells Canyon Dam , 247 miles (398 km) from the mouth, the mean annual discharge is about 19,000 cu ft/s (540 m /s) – just over a third of the discharge at the mouth. Just two downstream tributaries, the Clearwater and Salmon Rivers, contribute about half of the total flow of the Snake. The 107,500-square-mile (278,000 km ) Snake River watershed drains about 87 percent of

20520-463: The major geothermal areas as well as some of the lakes and waterfalls. During the winter, visitors often access the park by way of guided tours that use either snow coaches or snowmobiles . The park contains the headwaters of the Yellowstone River , from which it takes its historical name. Near the end of the 18th century, French trappers named the river Roche Jaune , which is probably

20691-430: The massive Lake Bonneville , about the size of modern-day Lake Michigan . About 15,000 years ago the lip of Red Rock Pass south of present-day Pocatello, Idaho abruptly collapsed, releasing a tremendous volume of water from Lake Bonneville into the Snake River Plain. The peak of the flood was about 500 times bigger than the largest recorded flood of the Snake at Idaho Falls in modern times. The flood completely altered

20862-470: The mining industry and the difficulty of importing goods set off an agricultural boom in the Boise Valley. By the 1880s, settlers also came to the upper Snake River north of Idaho Falls, where fertile, sandy soils presented ideal conditions for the iconic russet potato ("Idaho potato"). The dry climate made irrigation necessary, and numerous private irrigation companies were formed. Private canal systems around Boise and Idaho Falls saw some success, but all

21033-496: The mountain country of present-day Wyoming, including the Grand Tetons , after joining F V. Hayden 's Geological Survey in 1873. Yount is the first national park ranger, and Yount's Peak, at the head of the Yellowstone River, was named in his honor. These measures still proved to be insufficient in protecting the park, as neither Norris nor the three superintendents who followed, were given sufficient manpower or resources. During

21204-469: The national parks. In a paper known as the Leopold Report , the committee observed that culling programs at other national parks had been ineffective, and recommended the management of Yellowstone's elk population. The wildfires during the summer of 1988 were the largest in the history of the park. Approximately 793,880 acres (3,210 km ; 1,240 sq mi) or 36% of the parkland was impacted by

21375-469: The northern entrance area in 1883, which helped to increase visitation from 300 in 1872 to 5,000 in 1883. The spur line was completed in fall of that year from Livingston to Cinnabar for stage connection to Mammoth , then in 1902 extended to Gardiner station , where passengers also switched to stagecoach . Visitors in these early years faced poor and dusty roads plus limited services, with automobiles first admitted in phases beginning only in 1915. By 1901

21546-450: The ocean, returning to fresh water to spawn – were a key food source for indigenous peoples, and were of great cultural importance. Rituals such as the first salmon ceremony were widely observed along the Columbia, Snake and other Northwest rivers, and so were strict catch limits, such that a healthy number of salmon would survive to reach their natal streams. The Nez Perce had more than seventy permanent villages among their fishing grounds on

21717-511: The old country. It is its lonely grandeur that impresses one so deeply; all of the other historic places have the adjuncts of civilization, and one is almost overshadowed by a city while in their presence." Most travelers on the Oregon Trail regarded the arid Snake River Plain as an obstacle to be crossed, not a land to be settled. This began to change with the Boise gold strikes, where the demands of

21888-513: The original site in 1863. A military detachment was stationed there to quell any further violence; however, tensions continued to increase, and more wagon trains and mining parties were attacked. Starting in 1864, the Snake War was fought across much of southern Idaho, with numerous battles between the U.S. Army and the Shoshone, Bannock and Paiute. By 1868, exhausted after years of fighting, Chief Pocatello and many others surrendered and relocated to

22059-524: The outflow carved Hells Canyon, emptying Lake Idaho and integrating the upper Snake and Salmon-Clearwater into a single river system. The Teton Range, a defining topographic feature of the modern Snake River headwaters, first began to rise about 10 Ma as the Teton Fault began to move, displacing the mountain block upward as the surrounding land dropped. About 2 Ma, the Hoback Fault formed east of

22230-505: The park area itself as the central part of Yellowstone is the massive caldera of a supervolcano. The park contains 290 waterfalls of at least 15 feet (4.6 m), the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River at 308 feet (94 m). Three deep canyons are located in the park, cut through the volcanic tuff of the Yellowstone Plateau by rivers over the last 640,000 years. The Lewis River flows through Lewis Canyon in

22401-600: The park. In the northwest section of the park, new geysers were found, and many existing hot springs became turbid. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit the region in recorded history. In 1963, after several years of public controversy regarding the forced reduction of the elk population in Yellowstone, the United States Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall appointed an advisory board to collect scientific data to inform future wildlife management of

22572-552: The past, salmon swam as far upriver as Shoshone Falls. Emerging from Hells Canyon Dam, the Snake surges northward through the Hells Canyon Wilderness , where the majority of the river corridor is accessible only by boat and numerous Class III-IV rapids historically posed a major barrier to navigation. Today, the canyon and the surrounding Hells Canyon National Recreation Area are a popular location for whitewater boating, fishing, horseback riding and backpacking. With

22743-409: The poaching of buffalo , deer , elk , and antelope for hides : "It is estimated that during the winter of 1874–1875, not less than 3,000 buffalo and mule deer suffer even more severely than the elk, and the antelope nearly as much." As a result, Langford was forced to step down in 1877. Having traveled through Yellowstone and witnessed land management problems, Philetus Norris volunteered for

22914-411: The position following Langford's exit. Congress finally saw fit to implement a salary for the position, as well as to provide minimal funding to operate the park. Norris used these funds to expand access to the park, building numerous crude roads and facilities. In 1880, Harry Yount was appointed as a gamekeeper to control poaching and vandalism in the park. Yount had previously spent decades exploring

23085-455: The practical problems park administrators faced in the 1872 Report to the Secretary of the Interior and correctly predicted that Yellowstone would become a major international attraction deserving the continuing stewardship of the government. In 1874, both Langford and Delano advocated the creation of a federal agency to protect the vast park, but Congress refused. In 1875, Colonel William Ludlow , who had previously explored areas of Montana under

23256-460: The present-day confluence of the Columbia River and Salmon-Clearwater had been established, with the combined flow draining through Wallula Gap. About 2.5 Ma, Lake Idaho reached a maximum elevation of 3,600 feet (1,100 m) above modern sea level, and overflowed northward into the Salmon-Clearwater drainage near present-day Huntington, Oregon . Over a period of about two million years,

23427-513: The rationale that "if there are no beavers, there will be no reason for the Yanks to come," and even if the Americans did ultimately gain control, the HBC would already have taken all the profit. Focused primarily on the upper Snake River region, the "fur desert" policy was carried out in nine expeditions from about 1824–1831 and aimed to decrease the Americans' economic interest in the Oregon Country ,

23598-503: The region. During the construction of the post office in Gardiner, Montana , in the 1950s, an obsidian point of Clovis origin was found that dated from approximately 11,000 years ago. These Paleo-Indians , of the Clovis culture, used the significant amounts of obsidian found in the park to make cutting tools and weapons. Arrowheads made of Yellowstone obsidian have been found as far away as

23769-578: The regional slope such that drainage flowed west into Lake Idaho, whose water levels saw a significant increase about 4.5 Ma. The Snake River Plain drainage system continued to expand east, towards what is now Yellowstone National Park. During this expansion, the Snake also captured the Bear River , which was only rerouted towards its modern outlet in the Great Salt Lake Basin about 50,000 or 60,000 years ago by lava flows in southeast Idaho. In

23940-549: The relatively small caldera that contains the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake. Since the last supereruption, a series of smaller eruptive cycles between 640,000 and 70,000 years ago, has nearly filled in the Yellowstone Caldera with 80 different eruptions of rhyolitic lavas such as those that can be seen at Obsidian Cliffs and basaltic lavas which can be viewed at Sheepeater Cliff . Lava strata are most easily seen at

24111-422: The river flowing steadily even in the driest of summers. At King Hill , about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Twin Falls, water levels remain about 10,000 cu ft/s (280 m /s) for most of the year, increasing about 20 percent during snowmelt and decreasing about 20 percent with late summer irrigation diversions. Despite its great length, the Snake River accumulates most of its water in

24282-526: The river narrows, forming rapids and waterfalls. In the 70-mile (110 km) stretch between Milner Dam and the confluence with the Malad River near Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument , the Snake River descends a total of 1,300 feet (400 m) over a series of cataracts and rapids, chief of which include Caldron Linn , Twin , Shoshone , Pillar , Auger, and Salmon Falls . Idaho Power operates several small hydroelectric plants along this stretch of

24453-609: The river. The largest single drop is 212-foot (65 m) Shoshone Falls , which in the spring flows with such force that 19th-century writers called it the "Niagara of the West". The Snake River continues flowing west, through the C. J. Strike Reservoir where it is joined from the left by the Bruneau River , then through the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area before entering farmland on

24624-674: The scenic resorts and baths in England, Germany, and Switzerland. THE ACT OF DEDICATION AN ACT to set apart a certain tract of land lying near the headwaters of the Yellowstone River as a public park. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the tract of land in the Territories of Montana and Wyoming ... is hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement, occupancy, or sale under

24795-439: The south was a continuation of "Lewis's" or Salmon River. The expedition journals note the Nez Perce called it Kimooenim , although William Clark later erased mentions of the name to replace with "Lewis's". Six days later they reached the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers, after noting a number of dangerous rapids as well as many native fishing sites on the lower Snake. The expedition established friendly relations with

24966-626: The south, and the Yellowstone River has carved two colorful canyons, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone in its journey north. Yellowstone is at the northeastern end of the Snake River Plain , a great bow-shaped arc through the mountains that extends roughly 400 miles (640 km) from the park to the Idaho-Oregon border. The volcanism of Yellowstone

25137-573: The state of Idaho, 18 percent of Washington and 17 percent of Oregon, in addition to small portions of Wyoming, Utah and Nevada . From the Lost Trail Pass north of Salmon, Idaho to Tri-Basin Divide south of Afton, Wyoming , the eastern edge of the Snake River watershed follows the Continental Divide . As the Continental Divide also forms the Idaho–Montana border south of Lost Trail Pass,

25308-485: The summer. The Idaho State Historical Society writes that "Perrine’s venture contrasted remarkably with private canal company failures that led to congressional provision for federal reclamation projects after 1902. As a rare successful example of state supervised private irrigation development provided for in [the Carey Act] of 1894, Milner Dam and its canal system have national significance in agricultural history." With

25479-526: The supposedly mystical place was nicknamed " Colter's Hell ". Over the next 40 years, numerous reports from mountain men and trappers told of boiling mud, steaming rivers, and petrified trees, yet most of these reports were believed at the time to be a myth. After an 1856 exploration, mountain man Jim Bridger (also believed to be the first or second European American to have seen the Great Salt Lake ) reported observing boiling springs, spouting water, and

25650-431: The surrounding ecosystems. The Heritage and Research Center is located at Gardiner, Montana, near the north entrance to the park. The center is home to the Yellowstone National Park's museum collection, archives, research library, historian, archeology lab, and herbarium . The Yellowstone National Park Archives maintain collections of historical records of Yellowstone and the National Park Service. The collection includes

25821-561: The survey. Cooke wrote that his friend, Congressman William D. Kelley had also suggested " Congress pass a bill reserving the Great Geyser Basin as a public park forever". In 1871, eleven years after his failed first effort, Ferdinand V. Hayden was finally able to explore the region. With government sponsorship, he returned to the region with a second, larger expedition, the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 . He compiled

25992-459: The total land area of Yellowstone National Park is located within the state of Wyoming. Another three percent is within Montana, with the remaining one percent in Idaho. Montana's portion of Yellowstone contains multiple trails, facilities and swimming holes, while the Idaho portion of the park is completely undeveloped. The irregular eastern boundary of the national park follows the height of land along

26163-534: The traditional log cabin style with design features of a modern style. During the late 1980s, most construction styles in Yellowstone reverted to the more traditional designs. After the enormous forest fires of 1988 damaged much of Grant Village , structures there were rebuilt in the traditional style. The visitor center at Canyon Village , which opened in 2006, incorporates a more traditional design as well. The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake just west of Yellowstone at Hebgen Lake damaged roads and some structures in

26334-561: The treaty and refused to recognize the claims of the Sheepeaters or any other tribe that had used Yellowstone. The Nez Perce band associated with Chief Joseph , numbering about 750 people, passed through Yellowstone National Park in thirteen days in late August 1877. They were being pursued by the U.S. Army and entered the national park about two weeks after the Battle of the Big Hole . Some of

26505-419: The turn of the 20th century, some of the first large irrigation projects in the western US were developed along the Snake River. South-central Idaho earned the nickname " Magic Valley " with the rapid transformation of desert into farmland. Numerous hydroelectric dams were also constructed, and four navigation dams on its lower section created a shipping channel to Lewiston, Idaho – the furthest inland seaport on

26676-435: The utilitarian vision of maximum exploitation of natural resources , a characteristic of developers in the late 19th century. Second was the spiritual vision of nature inspired by Romanticism and the transcendentalists in the mid-19th century. The twentieth century saw the biocentric moral vision that focuses on the health of the ecosystem as theorized by Aldo Leopold , which led to the expansion of federally protected areas and

26847-493: The vast region of the Pacific Northwest centering on modern-day British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. By the time the Americans annexed Oregon Territory in 1848, beaver were nearly extirpated across much of the Rocky Mountains. Starting in the 1840s, the Oregon Trail became well established, and thousands of settlers passed through the Snake River Plain on their way to the Willamette Valley . Coming from Wyoming,

27018-572: The volume of water. The Snake River watershed is very mountainous, with the northern two-thirds of it occupied by vast mountain ranges of the Rockies, primarily the Salmon River Mountains of central Idaho and the Bitterroot Range along the Idaho–Montana border. The Blue Mountains form much of the western boundary of the Snake watershed from southeast Washington down into Oregon. To the south are numerous small isolated mountain ranges of

27189-403: The watershed is barren desert, and only about 1 percent is urbanized. Most of the Snake River watershed is public land, with the U.S. Forest Service managing the Nez Perce , Clearwater , Bitterroot , Umatilla , Wallowa–Whitman , Payette , Boise , Salmon–Challis , Sawtooth , Caribou–Targhee and Bridger–Teton National Forests that cover much of the northern and eastern parts of

27360-630: The watershed is farmland; irrigated farming of potatoes, sugar beets, onions, cereal grains and alfalfa are dominant in the Snake River Plain, while the Palouse Hills of the northwest host mainly dryland wheat and legume production. About 15 percent of the watershed is forested, distributed across two temperate coniferous forest ecoregions : South Central Rockies forests , consisting primarily of Douglas fir , Engelmann spruce , subalpine fir , and lodgepole pine , and North Central Rockies forests , which include mountain hemlock , white spruce , alpine fir and western larch . About 4 percent of

27531-400: The watershed. The forests contain numerous designated wilderness areas, including the Sawtooth , Selway–Bitterroot , Frank Church-River of No Return , Gospel Hump , Hells Canyon , Teton and Gros Ventre . National Park Service land includes Craters of the Moon National Monument and Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Large areas of privately owned farmland are concentrated in

27702-442: The west. The region has a long history of volcanism ; millions of years ago, Columbia River basalts covered vast areas of the western Snake River watershed, while the Snake River Plain was a product of the Yellowstone volcanic hotspot . The river was further altered by catastrophic flooding in the most recent Ice Age , which created such features as the Snake River Canyon and Shoshone Falls . The Snake River once hosted some of

27873-407: The western side of Idaho's Treasure Valley . Passing 30 miles (48 km) west of Boise , it crosses briefly into Oregon before turning north to form the Oregon–Idaho border. It is joined by several major tributaries in quick succession – the Boise River from the right, the Owyhee and Malheur Rivers from the left, the Payette and Weiser Rivers from the right near Ontario, Oregon , then

28044-427: Was commissioned to haul supplies up the Snake River to Fort Taylor. Captained by veteran Oregon river pilot Len White, the Wright was the first steamboat to run on the Snake River and the Columbia above The Dalles . Two years later, Elias D. Pierce discovered gold to the east on Nez Perce treaty land. As thousands of fortune seekers flocked to the area, the city of Lewiston was founded in 1861, in violation of

28215-406: Was created by a cataclysmic eruption that occurred 640,000 years ago, which released more than 240 cu mi (1,000 km ) of ash, rock and pyroclastic materials. This eruption was more than 1,000 times larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens . It produced a caldera nearly 5 ⁄ 8  mi (1.0 km) deep and 45 by 28 miles (72 by 45 km) in area and deposited

28386-440: Was cut, and many facilities fell into disrepair. By the 1950s, visitation increased tremendously in Yellowstone and other national parks. To accommodate the increased visitation, park officials implemented Mission 66 , an effort to modernize and expand park service facilities. Planned to be completed by 1966, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service, Mission 66 construction diverged from

28557-417: Was encouraged to preserve it for others to see and experience it as well. In 1873, Congress authorized and funded a survey to find a wagon route to the park from the south which was completed by the Jones Expedition of 1873 . Eventually the railroads and, sometime after that, the automobile would make that possible. The park was not set aside strictly for ecological purposes. Hayden imagined something akin to

28728-592: Was eventually commissioned to oversee the management of Yellowstone for 30 years between 1886 and 1916. In 1917, the administration of the park was transferred to the National Park Service , which had been created the previous year. Hundreds of structures have been built and are protected for their architectural and historical significance , and researchers have examined more than a thousand indigenous archaeological sites . Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 sq mi (8,983 km ), with lakes, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges . Yellowstone Lake

28899-423: Was named Nez Perce Creek in memory of their trail through the area. A group of Bannocks entered the park in 1878, alarming park Superintendent Philetus Norris. In the aftermath of the Sheepeater Indian War of 1879, Norris built a fort to prevent Native Americans from entering the national park. The Northern Pacific Railroad built a train station in Livingston, Montana , as a gateway terminus to connect to

29070-438: Was the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features , especially the Old Faithful geyser , one of its most popular. While it represents many types of biomes , the subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion . While Native Americans have lived in

29241-406: Was the same or similar to the Plains Indian common sign for "snake." The English name for the river was likely derived from this interpretation of the hand gesture, although it is uncertain when the name was first used. The first Euro-Americans to reach the Snake River watershed were the Lewis and Clark Expedition, who in August 1805 crossed the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass and descended to

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