state idaho united_states miles long major tributary tributary turn tributary surrounded arid columbia plateau adjacent western foothills rocky_mountains today mainly agriculture irrigation purposes derives type ceremony held indigenous people pacific_northwest tribe lived river hundreds years arrival whites pioneers settled watershed established farms late 19th century logging eliminated forests watershed ecology river process recovery fishing hiking camping popular recreational activities river percent watershed lies public lands logging agriculture varieties forest plants populated species fish swim river tributaries course drainage mountains source course traces southwesterly line eastern columbia plateau arid foothills form river southern drains combine near soon river descends canyon continues way mouth canyon receives pine big bear middle little north boulder south follows lower canyon town located confluence river merges elevation feet towns average discharge mouth according stream gauge cubic feet second peak flow cubic feet second recorded river reaches highest peaks winter early spring reduces summer autumn river mainly flows coarse comprise similar geology farther west history native americans tribe lived hundreds years area broad sweep dry grassland bordered forested mountains eastern edge arid columbia plateau location southwest foothills receives rainfall west lewis passed mouth traveling referred large creek named honor member expedition known whites river modern river adopted native environment stayed relatively intact settlers began arrive western idaho great numbers 1870s miners attracted gold strike nearby banks set farms surrounding soil conditions generally improve travels southwards watershed major growing crops southern basin water scarce arid drainage river water hard reach steep canyon passes lower course farmers restricted growing crops require irrigation lands access abundant water relegated pasture hay producing status forests watershed significantly affected logging operations sprung near start 20th century virgin timber watershed cleared built provide lumber local uses building houses soon washington idaho montana railway extended tracks area allowing lumber exported basin logging turned profitable industry lasting negative effect ecology watershed splash dams railroad landings railroad branch lines steam operations strategies utilized exploit watershed resources timber unfortunately railroad fills build tributaries artificially straightened process erosion increased dramatically barren causing streams naturally nearly old growth forest watershed gone forests remain second growth stands ecology time river watershed dominated grassland consisting idaho maple formed zone foothills meadow environment black small conifers flourished banks smaller tributaries mock orange grew distributed seasonal wetlands river larger tributary creeks forests mainly mix douglas fir pine interspersed rare stands grand fir western western white pine wild rose burned watershed time time clearing way new growth human intervention vegetation communities continued persist lesser numbers wiped farming average annual precipitation ranges inches year annual variations temperature according study different species fish watershed including rainbow trout wild farm raised brook trout bass northern yellow perch migration phase rainbow trout impacted construction dams downstream snake columbia rivers species largest individual fish population watershed accounted streams sampled study highest diversity relatively condition lower section river suffers chronic pollution caused agricultural runoff population rainbow trout watershed recorded monitoring evaluation program data populations main stem adult recorded river average recorded annually river larger tributaries estimated return drainage strong run years estimated fish average began series seven projects order conserve fish habitat land use forests cover watershed agriculture land privately owned lie national forests owned state share recreation mountainous forested sections drainage basin lie protected national forest lands overseen watershed fishing good tributaries permitted catch brook trout trout rainbow trout game annually stocks fish river fishing permitted mouth upstream joins river near
Potlatch River