Snake River
Perrine Bridge spanning the Snake River Canyon at Twin Falls, Idaho
Country	United States
States	Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
Major cities	Idaho Falls, ID, Twin Falls, ID, Lewiston, ID, Tri-Cities, WA
Length	1,040 mi (1,674 km) [1]
Watershed	108,000 mi² (280,000 km²) [1]
Discharge at	mouth
- average	56,900 ft³/s (1,610 m³/s) [1]
Source	Rocky Mountains
- location	Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
- coordinates	44°7′49″N 110°13′10″W / 44.13028, -110.21944 [2]
- elevation	8,927 ft (2,721 m) [3]
Mouth	Columbia River
- location	Tri-Cities, Washington
- coordinates	46°11′10″N 119°1′43″W / 46.18611, -119.02861 [2]
- elevation	358 ft (109 m) [4]
Major tributaries
- left	Salt River, Portneuf River, Owyhee River, Malheur River, Powder River, Grande Ronde River
- right	Henrys Fork, Boise River, Salmon River, Clearwater River, Palouse River
Snake River watershed

The Snake River is a major tributary of the Columbia River in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The river's length is 1,040 miles (1,674 km), its watershed drains 108,000 square miles (280,000 km²), and the average discharge at its mouth is 56,900 cubic feet per second (1,610 m³/s). The river flows from its source in Yellowstone National Park through a series of mountain ranges, canyons, and plains. Download high resolution version (1000x508, 101 KB)Image taken in July 2004 by Daniel Mayer. ... For the bridge in Ulster County, New York, see Perrines Bridge The I. B. Perrine Bridge at Twin Falls, Idaho is a four-lane span carrying U.S. Highway 93 over the Snake River Canyon. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... For other uses, see Idaho (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Coordinates: , Country State County Bonneville Founded 1864 Incorporated 1891 Government  - Mayor Jared Fuhriman Area  - City  17. ... Motto: People Serving People Coordinates: , Country State County Twin Falls Founded 1904 Incorporated 1904 Government  - Type council-manager  - Mayor Lance W. Clow  - City Manager Tom Courtney Area  - City 12. ... Lewiston is the county seat and largest city in Nez Perce County, Idaho. ... Central Richland as seen from the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... “km” redirects here. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... It has been suggested that Thousand Cubic Feet be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... The cubic meter (symbol m³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... Yellowstone redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... Central Richland as seen from the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... The Salt River flows northward along the western border of Wyoming through Star Valley to its confluence with the Snake River near the town of Alpine. ... The Portneuf River, seen from U.S. Highway 30 west of Soda Springs The Portneuf River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 96 mi (156 km) long, in southeastern Idaho in the United States. ... The Malheur River (pronounced muh-LOOR) is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 165 mi (266 km) long, in east central Oregon in the United States. ... The Powder River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 110 mi (177 km) long, in northeast Oregon in the United States. ... The Grande Ronde River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 180 mi (290 km) long, in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington in the United States. ... Henrys Fork (also called the Henrys Fork of the Snake River) is a tributary river of the Snake River, approximately 110 mi (177 km) long, in southeastern Idaho in the United States. ... The Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 75 mi (121 km) long, in southwestern Idaho in the United States. ... The Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. ... The Clearwater River is a river in northern Idaho, the North Fork of which flows from the Idaho-Montana border westward to join the Snake River at Lewiston. ... A river that runs from Northwest Idaho to the Snake River in southest Washington. ... Image File history File links This is a map of the Snake River Watershed. ... The Snake River may refer to: the Snake River, a tributary of the Columbia River in the northwest United States the Snake River in Michigan. ... Look up tributary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... For other uses, see Idaho (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (blue outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (green lines) of a contiguous area. ... Yellowstone redirects here. ...

Geography

Basin overview

The Snake River's drainage basin includes a diversity of landscapes. Its upper reaches lie in the Rocky Mountains. In southern Idaho the river flows through the broad Snake River Plain. Along the Idaho-Oregon border the river flows through Hells Canyon, part of a larger physiographic region called the Columbia River Plateau, through which the Snake River flows through Washington to its confluence with the Columbia River. Parts of the river's basin lie within the Basin and Range province. For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... Big Southern Buttes Prominence on Snake River Plain The Snake River Plain is a geological feature of (primarily) the American state of Idaho. ... Hells Canyon in Oregon Hells Canyon is a canyon created by the Snake River. ... The Columbia River Plateau is shown in green on this map. ... Full extent of the Basin and Range The Basin and Range Province is a particular type of topography that covers much of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico that is typified by elongate north-south trending arid valleys bounded by mountain ranges which also bound adjacent valleys. ...

The Snake is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, with a mean discharge of 50,000 cubic feet per second (1,400 m³/s),^[5] or 56,900 cubic feet per second (1,610 m³/s) according to the USGS, the 12th largest in the United States.^[1] The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ...

Geology

For much of its course the Snake River flows through the Snake River Plain, a physiographic province extending from eastern Oregon through southern Idaho into northwest Wyoming. Much of the Snake River Plain is high desert and semi-desert at elevations averaging around 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Many of the rivers in this region have cut deep and meandering canyons. West of Twin Falls, the plain is mainly covered with stream and lake sediments. During the Miocene, lava dams created Lake Idaho, which covered a large portion of the Snake River Plain between Twin Falls and Hells Canyon. This large lake expanded and contracted several times before finally receding in the early Pleistocene. In more recent geologic time, about 14,500 years ago, glacial Lake Bonneville spilled catastrophically into the Snake River Plain. The flood carved deep into the land along the Snake River, leaving deposits of gravel, sand, and boulders, as well as a scabland topography in places. Results of this flood include the falls and rapids from Twin Falls and Shoshone Falls to Crane Falls and Swan Falls, as well as the many "potholes" areas.^[6] Big Southern Buttes Prominence on Snake River Plain The Snake River Plain is a geological feature of (primarily) the American state of Idaho. ... Continental U.S physiographic regions Legend for map There are eight distinct U. S. physiographic regions within the continental United States. ... The Miocene Epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ... A butte in the Great Salt Lake Desert Lake Bonneville was a prehistoric pluvial lake that covered much of North Americas Great Basin region. ...

The Snake River Aquifer, one of the most productive aquifers in the world, underlies an area of about 10,000 square miles (25,900 km²) in the Snake River Plain. Differences in elevation and rock permeability result in many dramatic springs, some of which are artesian. The groundwater comes from the Snake River itself as well as other streams in the region. Some streams on the northern side of the Snake River Plain, such as the Lost River are completely absorbed into the ground, recharging the aquifer and emerging as springs that flow into the Snake River in the western part of the plain. The hydraulic conductivity of the basalt rocks that make up the aquifer is very high. In places water exits the Snake and Lost rivers into ground conduits at rates of nearly 600 ft³/s (17 m³/s).^[7] Due to stream modifications and large-scale irrigation, most of the water that used to recharge the aquifer directly now does so in the form of irrigation water drainage.^[8] An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. ... A natural spring on Mackinac Island in Michigan. ... Geological strata giving rise to an Artesian well. ... Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of lithologic formations. ... There are two rivers in Idaho named Lost, the Big Lost River and the Little Lost River. ... Hydraulic conductivity, symbolically represented as , is a property of vascular plants, soil or rock, that describes the ease with which water can move through pore spaces or fractures. ...

Upper course

The Snake originates near the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming and flows south into Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park, then south through Jackson Hole and past the town of Jackson. The river then flows west through Wyoming's Snake River Canyon, then enters Idaho at the Palisades Reservoir. A continental divide is a line of elevated terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that water falling on one side of the line eventually travels to one ocean or body of water, and water on the other side travels to another, generally on the opposite side of... Yellowstone redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... Mount Moran and Jackson Lake Jackson Lake is a lake located in north western Wyoming in the Grand Teton National Park. ... Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in western Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. ... Jackson Hole is a valley in the U.S. state of Wyoming. ... Jackson is a town located in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming. ... Canyon wall Wall of canyon, seeping water The Snake River Canyon is formed by the Snake on the western border of Wyoming south of Jackson Hole. ... For other uses, see Idaho (disambiguation). ... Palisades Dam is a earth-fill dam on the Snake River in Bonneville County, Idaho. ...

Below the Palisades Reservoir, the Snake River flows northwest through Swan Valley to its confluence with Henrys Fork near Rigby. The region around the confluence is a large inland delta. Above the juncture, the Snake River is locally called the South Fork of the Snake River, as since Henrys Fork is sometimes called the Henrys Fork of the Snake Rive or North Fork of the Snake River. Henrys Fork (also called the Henrys Fork of the Snake River) is a tributary river of the Snake River, approximately 110 mi (177 km) long, in southeastern Idaho in the United States. ... Rigby is a city located in Jefferson County, Idaho. ... Nile River delta, as seen from Earth orbit. ...

The Snake River then swings south in an arc across southern Idaho, following the Snake River Plain. It passes through the city of Idaho Falls and a region of irrigated agriculture. North of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation the river is impounded by the American Falls Dam. The dam and reservoir are part of the Minidoka Irrigation Project managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The Portneuf River joins the Snake at the reservoir. Downriver from the dam is Massacre Rocks State Park, a site on the path of the old Oregon Trail. Coordinates: , Country State County Bonneville Founded 1864 Incorporated 1891 Government  - Mayor Jared Fuhriman Area  - City  17. ... Grain elevator on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation The Fort Hall Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation of the Shoshoni and Bannock people in the U.S. state of Idaho. ... The American Falls Dam is a concrete gravity-type dam located near the town of American Falls, Idaho on the Snake River. ... The United States Bureau of Reclamation (Formerly the United States Reclamation Service) is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior which oversees water development projects in the western United States. ... The Portneuf River, seen from U.S. Highway 30 west of Soda Springs The Portneuf River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 96 mi (156 km) long, in southeastern Idaho in the United States. ... Boulders in Massacre Rocks State Park, deposited during the Bonneville Event Massacre Rocks State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Idaho. ... For other uses, see Oregon Trail (disambiguation). ...

After receiving the waters of Raft River, the Snake River enters another reservoir, Lake Walcott, impounded by Minidoka Dam, run by the Bureau of Reclamation mainly for irrigation purposes. Another dam, Milner Dam and its reservoir, Milner Reservoir, lie just downriver from Minidoka Dam. Below that is the city of Twin Falls, after which the river flows into Idaho's Snake River Canyon (the site of Evil Knievel's stunt) over Shoshone Falls and under the Perrine Bridge. The Raft River is a river that flows from Utah to Idaho. ... Lake Walcott is a reservoir in Idaho, United States. ... The Minidoka Dam is an earthfill dam on the Snake River near Rupert, Idaho, on County Highway 400, north of Acequia, Idaho. ... Milner Dam is a rockfill dam located near Burley in the U.S. state of Idaho. ... Motto: People Serving People Coordinates: , Country State County Twin Falls Founded 1904 Incorporated 1904 Government  - Type council-manager  - Mayor Lance W. Clow  - City Manager Tom Courtney Area  - City 12. ... This article deals with the area known as the Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho. ... Robert Craig Evel Knievel (born October 17, 1938 in Butte, Montana) is an American stuntman, best known for his public displays of long distance, high-altitude motorcycle jumping which often resulted in serious injuries, particularly during the 1970s. ... Shoshone Falls Shoshone Falls is a waterfall on the Snake River located approximately five miles east of Twin Falls, Idaho. ... For the bridge in Ulster County, New York, see Perrines Bridge The I. B. Perrine Bridge at Twin Falls, Idaho is a four-lane span carrying U.S. Highway 93 over the Snake River Canyon. ...

Lower course

After exiting the Snake River Canyon, the Snake receives the waters of more tributaries, the Bruneau River and the Malad River. After passing the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, the Snake flows toward Boise and the Idaho-Oregon border. After receiving numerous tributaries such as the Boise River, Owyhee River, Malheur River, Payette River, Weiser River, and Powder River, the Snake enters Hells Canyon. The Bruneau River runs through a narrow canyon cut into ancient lava flows in southwestern Idaho. ... The Malad River is a tributary of the Snake River, in Idaho in the United States. ... Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area The Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area is home to the largest concentration of nesting raptors in North America. ... Boise redirects here. ... The Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 75 mi (121 km) long, in southwestern Idaho in the United States. ... The Malheur River (pronounced muh-LOOR) is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 165 mi (266 km) long, in east central Oregon in the United States. ... The Payette River is a river in southwestern Idaho, is a major tributary to the Snake River. ... Weiser River outside Weiser, Idaho The Weiser River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 90 mi (145 km) long in western Idaho in the United States. ... The Powder River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 110 mi (177 km) long, in northeast Oregon in the United States. ... Hells Canyon in Oregon Hells Canyon is a canyon created by the Snake River. ...

In Hells Canyon the Snake River is impounded by three dams, Brownlee Dam, Oxbow Dam, and Hells Canyon Dam, after which the river is designated a National Wild and Scenic River as is flows through Hells Canyon Wilderness. In this section of the river, the Salmon River, one of the largest tributaries of the Snake, joins. Just across the Washington state line, another large tributary, the Grande Ronde River joins the Snake. Brownlee Dam is a hydroelectric run-of-the-river concrete dam on the Snake River on the Idaho-Oregon border, in Hells Canyon (river mile 285). ... Oxbow Dam is a hydroelectric run-of-the-river rockfill dam on the Snake River on the Idaho-Oregon border, in Hells Canyon (river mile 273). ... Hells Canyon Dam is a hydroelectric concrete gravity dam on the Snake River on the Idaho-Oregon border, in Hells Canyon (river mile 247). ... National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States. ... For the wilderness area of the same name in Arizona, see Hells Canyon Wilderness (Arizona). ... The Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. ... The Grande Ronde River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately 180 mi (290 km) long, in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington in the United States. ...

As the Snake flows north out of Hells Canyon, it passed the cities of Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington, where it receives the Clearwater River. From there the Snake River swings north, then south, through southeast Washington's Palouse region, before joining the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities. In this final river reach there are four large dams, Lower Granite Lock and Dam, Little Goose Lock and Dam, Lower Monumental Lock and Dam, and Ice Harbor Lock and Dam. These dams, built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers serve as hydroelectric power sources as well as ensuring barge traffic navigation to Lewiston, Idaho. Lewiston is the county seat and largest city in Nez Perce County, Idaho. ... Clarkston is a small town located in Asotin county in Southeast Washington state. ... The Clearwater River is a river in northern Idaho, the North Fork of which flows from the Idaho-Montana border westward to join the Snake River at Lewiston. ... The Palouse is a region of hi peopleEastern Washington, North Central Idaho, and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... Lower Granite Dam and the Snake River from the northwest, looking southeast, upstream. ... Little Goose Dam from the north side of the Snake River Little Goose Lock and Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity, dam in Columbia and Whitman counties in the state of Washington, on the Snake River. ... Lower Monumental Dam and the Snake River from the southwest, looking northeast, upstream. ... Ice Harbor Dam from the west, north side of the Snake River. ... The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is a federal agency made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ...

The Tetons - Snake River (1942) by Ansel Adams

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x2402, 756 KB) en:Ansel Adams The Tetons and the Snake River (1942) Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x2402, 756 KB) en:Ansel Adams The Tetons and the Snake River (1942) Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming. ...

History

Name

The name "Snake" possibly derived from an S-shaped (snake) sign which the Shoshone Indians made with their hands to mimic swimming salmon.

Variant names of the river have included: Great Snake River, Lewis Fork, Lewis River, Mad River, Saptin River, Shoshone River, and Yam-pah-pa.

Early inhabitants

People have been living along the Snake River for at least 11,000 years. Daniel S. Meatte divides the prehistory of the western Snake River Basin into three main phases or "adaptive systems". The first he calls "Broad Spectrum Foraging", dating from 11,500 to 4,200 years before present. During this period people drew upon a wide variety of food resources. The second period, "Semisedentary Foraging", dates from 4,200 250 years before present and is distinctive for an increased reliance upon fish, especially salmon, as well as food preservation and storage. The third phase, from 250 to 100 years before present, he calls "Equestrian Foragers". It is characterized by large horse-mounted tribes that spent long amounts of time away from their local foraging range hunting bison.^[9] In the eastern Snake River Plain there is some evidence of Clovis, Folsom, and Plano cultures dating back over 10,000 years ago. By the protohistoric and historic era, the eastern Snake River Plain was dominated by Shoshone and other "Plateau" culture tribes.^[10] First American Clovis Point courtesy of http://www. ... The Folsom Tradition is a name given by archaeologists to a sequence of Paleo-Indian archaeological cultures of central North America. ... The Plano cultures is a name given by archaeologists to a group of disparate hunter-gatherer communities that occupied the Great Plains area of North America between 9000 BC and 6000 BC. They are characterised by a range of projectile point tools collectively called Plano points and generally hunted bison... This article is about the Native American tribe. ...

Early fur traders and explorers noted regional trading centers, and archaeological evidence has shown some to be of considerable antiquity. One such trading center in the Weiser area existed as early as 4,500 years ago. The Fremont culture may have contributed to the historic Shoshones, but it is not well understood. Another poorly understood early cultural hearth is called the Midvale Complex. The introduction of the horse to the Snake River Plain around 1700 helped in establishing the Shoshone and Northern Paiute cultures.^[11] Weiser is a city in Washington County, Idaho. ... --24. ... This article is about the Native American tribe. ... “Piute” redirects here. ...

On the Snake River in southeastern Washington there are several ancient sites. One of the oldest and most well-known is called the Marmes Rockshelter, which was used from over 11,000 years ago to relatively recent times. The Marmes Rockshelter was flooded in 1968 by Lake Herbert G. West, the Lower Monumental Dam's reservoir.^[12] Lake Herbert G. West (or Lake West) is a reservoir formed by the Lower Monumental Dam. ...

Other cultures of the Snake River's basin's protohistoric and historic periods include the Nez Perce, Cayuse, Walla Walla, Palus, Bannock, and many others. The Nez Perce (IPA: ) are a tribe of Native Americans who live in the Pacific Northwest region (Columbia River Plateau) of the United States. ... For other uses, see Cayuse (disambiguation). ... Walla Walla is a Native American group that lives on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. ... The Palus tribe is one of twelve aboriginal tribes enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. ... The Bannock or Banate are a Native American people who traditionally lived in the northern Great Basin in what is now southeastern Oregon and Southern Idaho. ...

Exploration

The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806 was the first major U.S. exploration of the lower portion of the Snake River, and the Snake was once known as the Lewis River. Later exploratory expeditions, which explored much of the length of the Snake River, included the Astor Expedition of 1810-1812, John C. Frémont in 1832, and Benjamin Bonneville in 1833-1834. By the middle 19th century, the Oregon Trail had been established, generally following much of the Snake River. “Lewis and Clark” redirects here. ... The Astor Expedition in 1810-1812 was the first overland expedition from St. ... John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890), was an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform in opposition to slavery. ... Benjamin Bonneville Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville (April 14, 1796-1878) was a French-born officer in the United States Army, fur trapper, and explorer in the American West. ... For other uses, see Oregon Trail (disambiguation). ...

River modifications

Dams

Many dams have been built on the Snake River and its tributaries, mainly for purposes of providing irrigation water and hydroelectric power and ranging in size from small diversion dams to major high dams. This article is about structures for water impoundment. ... Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. ... Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by hydropower. ... A diversion dam is a type of dam that diverts all or a portion of the flow of a river from its natural course. ...

Large dams include four on the lower Snake, in Washington, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite. These dams were built from 1962 to 1975 for hydroelectric power and navigation. They are equipped with locks, making the river as far as Lewiston an extension of the Columbia River's barge navigation system.^[13] The four dams were modified in the 1980s to better accommodate fish passage.^[14] The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is a federal agency made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ... Ice Harbor Dam from the west, north side of the Snake River. ... Lower Monumental Dam and the Snake River from the southwest, looking northeast, upstream. ... Little Goose Dam from the north side of the Snake River Little Goose Lock and Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity, dam in Columbia and Whitman counties in the state of Washington, on the Snake River. ... Lower Granite Dam and the Snake River from the northwest, looking southeast, upstream. ...

Upriver, in the Hells Canyon region, there are three large hydroelectric dams, operated by Idaho Power, a private utility company. Collectively named the Hells Canyon Project, the three dams are, in upriver order: Hells Canyon Dam, Oxbow Dam, and Brownlee Dam. Not having fish ladders, they are the first total barrier to upriver fish migration. Hells Canyon Dam is a hydroelectric concrete gravity dam on the Snake River on the Idaho-Oregon border, in Hells Canyon (river mile 247). ... Oxbow Dam is a hydroelectric run-of-the-river rockfill dam on the Snake River on the Idaho-Oregon border, in Hells Canyon (river mile 273). ... Brownlee Dam is a hydroelectric run-of-the-river concrete dam on the Snake River on the Idaho-Oregon border, in Hells Canyon (river mile 285). ...

In southwestern Idaho there are several large dams. Swan Falls Dam, built in 1901, was the first hydroelectric dam on the Snake as well as the first total barrier to upriver fish migration. It was rebuilt in the 1990s by Idaho Power. Upriver from Swan Falls is another hydroelectric dam operated by Idaho Power, the C. J. Strike Dam, built in 1952. This dam also serves irrigation purposes. Continuing upriver, Idaho Power operates a set of three hydroelectric dam projects collectively called the Mid-Snake Projects, all built in the 1940s and 1950s. They are: Bliss Dam, Lower Salmon Falls Dam, and the two dams of the Upper Salmon Falls Project, Upper Salmon Falls Dam A and Upper Salmon Falls Dam B. Swan Falls Dam is a concrete gravity type hydroelectric dam on the Snake River, in the U.S. state of Idaho. ... C. J. Strike Dam is an earth-fill type hydroelectric dam on the Snake River, just below the Bruneau River confluence, in the U.S. state of Idaho. ... Bliss Dam is a concrete gravity-type hydroelectric dam on the Snake River, in the U.S. state of Idaho. ...

Near the city of Twin Falls two waterfalls have been modified for hydropower, Shoshone Falls and Twin Falls. Collectively called the Shoshone Falls Project, they are old and relatively small dams, currently operated by Idaho Power. Above Twin Falls is Milner Dam, built in 1905 for irrigation and rebuilt in 1992 with hydroelectric production added. The dam and irrigation works are owned by Milner Dam, Inc, while the powerplant is owned by Idaho Power. Milner Dam is a rockfill dam located near Burley in the U.S. state of Idaho. ...

Above Milner Dam, most of the large dams are projects of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, built mainly for irrigation, some are hydroelectric as well. All part of the Bureau's Minidoka Project, the dams are: Minidoka Dam (built 1909), American Falls Dam (1927), Palisades Dam (1957), and Jackson Lake Dam on Jackson Lake (1911). These dams, along with two others and numerous irrigation canals, supply water to about 1.1 million acres (4,500 km²) in southern Idaho.^[15] The United States Bureau of Reclamation (Formerly the United States Reclamation Service) is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior which oversees water development projects in the western United States. ... The Minidoka Dam is an earthfill dam on the Snake River near Rupert, Idaho, on County Highway 400, north of Acequia, Idaho. ... The American Falls Dam is a concrete gravity-type dam located near the town of American Falls, Idaho on the Snake River. ... Palisades Dam is a earth-fill dam on the Snake River in Bonneville County, Idaho. ... Jackson Lake Dam. ... Mount Moran and Jackson Lake Jackson Lake is a lake located in north western Wyoming in the Grand Teton National Park. ...

The city of Idaho Falls operates the remaining large dam on the Snake River, Gem State Dam, along with several smaller associated dams, for hydroelectric and irrigation purposes. Coordinates: , Country State County Bonneville Founded 1864 Incorporated 1891 Government  - Mayor Jared Fuhriman Area  - City  17. ... Gem State Dam is a concrete and rock-fill gravity dam on the Snake River, in the U.S. state of Idaho. ...

There are many other dams on the tributaries of the Snake River, built mainly for irrigation. They are mainly operated by the Bureau of Reclamation or local government and private owners.

While the many dams in the Snake River basin have transformed the region's economy, they have also had an adverse environmental effect on wildlife, most notably on wild salmon migrations. Since the 1990s, some conservation organizations and fishermen are seeking to restore the lower Snake River and Snake River salmon and steelhead by removing four federally-owned dams on the lower Snake River.^[16][17] This article is about the natural environment. ... For other uses, see Salmon (disambiguation). ...

Navigation

In the 1960s and 1970s the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built four dams and locks on the lower Snake River to facilitate shipping. The lower Columbia River has likewise been dammed for navigation. Thus a deep shipping channel through locks and slackwater reservoirs for heavy barges exists from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston, Idaho. Most barge traffic originating on the Snake River goes to deep-water ports on the lower Columbia River, such as Portland. Grain, mostly wheat, is the main product shipped from the Snake, and nearly all of it is exported internationally from the lower Columbia River ports. In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks. ... Self propelled barge carrying bulk crushed stone A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. ... Nickname: Location of Portland in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country State Counties Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Mayor Tom Potter[1]  - Commissioners Sam Adams Randy Leonard Dan Saltzman Erik Sten  - Auditor Gary Blackmer Area  - Total 376. ... The word grain has several meanings, most being descriptive of a small piece or particle. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat Wheat For the indie rock group, see Wheat (band). ...

The shipping channel is authorized to be at least 14 feet (4.3 m) deep and 250 feet (76.2 m) wide. Where river depths were less than 14 feet (4 m), the shipping channel has been dredged in most places. Dredging and redredging work is ongoing and actual depths vary over time.^[18] This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

With a channel about 5 feet (1.5 m) deeper than the Mississippi River System, the Columbia and Snake rivers can float barges twice as heavy.^[19] The Mississippi River System is a mostly riverine network which includes the Mississippi River and connecting waterways. ...

Agricultural products from Idaho and eastern Washington are among the main goods transported by barge on the Snake and Columbia rivers. Grain, mainly wheat, accounts for more than 85% of the cargo barged on the lower Snake River. In 1998, over 123 million bushels (4.3 million m³) of grain were barged on the Snake. Before the completion of the lower Snake dams, grain from the region was transported by truck or rail to Columbia River ports around the Tri-Cities. Other products barged on the lower Snake River include peas, lentils, forest products, and petroleum.^[18]

Among the negative consequences of the lower Snake River's navigational slackwater reservoirs are the flooding of historic and archaeological sites, the stilling of once famous rapids, the slowing of currents and an associated rising of water temperature, and a general decline in the ability of wild fish to migrate up and down the river.

Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls, Idaho

Columbia River Basin

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x683, 199 KB) Summary Shoshone Falls, selfmade photograph in May 1998. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x683, 199 KB) Summary Shoshone Falls, selfmade photograph in May 1998. ... Shoshone Falls Shoshone Falls is a waterfall on the Snake River located approximately five miles east of Twin Falls, Idaho. ... Motto: People Serving People Coordinates: , Country State County Twin Falls Founded 1904 Incorporated 1904 Government  - Type council-manager  - Mayor Lance W. Clow  - City Manager Tom Courtney Area  - City 12. ... Download high resolution version (683x760, 32 KB)Caption: The Columbia River carved the Interior Columbia River Basin from the landscape of seven Western states and two Canadian provinces. ... Download high resolution version (683x760, 32 KB)Caption: The Columbia River carved the Interior Columbia River Basin from the landscape of seven Western states and two Canadian provinces. ...

See also

• List of crossings of the Snake River
• Snake River Plain

This is a list of bridges and other crossings of the Snake River from the Columbia River upstream to the its source. ... Big Southern Buttes Prominence on Snake River Plain The Snake River Plain is a geological feature of (primarily) the American state of Idaho. ...

References

Google Earth is a virtual globe program that was originally called Earth Viewer and was created by Keyhole, Inc. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... Google Earth is a virtual globe program that was originally called Earth Viewer and was created by Keyhole, Inc. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ... The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Snake River

• USGS GNIS: Snake River
• Idaho Power