UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mendenhall, Director Water-Supply Paper 657 WATER UTILIZATJQ^ IN THE SNAKE RIVM BASIN ""-^r B<5 °o ^ «-? %*-« ^t«4 ____ ^n -" wC> v r v*> ^ /-^ T"i --O ^ o f^* t TA ^-- ± BY ^^^ W. G. HOYT \, ^ r-^ Co WITH A PREFACE ^ -^ "^ o o. ^ HERMAN STABLER ' ^ ^ e 'r1 t<A to ^ ^ >Jt C---\ V*-O r&1 """^*_> ® p <,A -o xi CP ^3 P* O ^ y» * "^ 0V - f\ *"^ . , UNITED STATKS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1935 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. - - - Price $1.00 (Paper cover) CONTENTS Page Preface, by Herman Stabler._______________________________________ ix Abstract _________________________________________________________ 1 Introduction__ _ _________________________________________________ 2 Purpose and scope of report.___________________________________ 2 Cooperation and base data.____________________________________ 3 Index system.._______________________________________________ 6 General features of Snake River Basin.______________________________ 6 Location and extent.__________________________________________ 6 Geographic and topographic features.___________________________ 7 Snake River system._____-_-----_____-_________-_____-_-__-_.._ 7 Tributaries to Snake River.____________________________________ 9 Historical review-__________________________________________________ 20 Scenic and recreational features.-...________________________________ 21 Climate____________________________A____ ___________________ 23 Natural vegetation_________________-_____-____________----__-_---._ 25 Geology of the Snake River Basin with reference to hydrology...-______ 28 Historical summary.__________________________________________ 28 Characteristics of the rocks________________________-_____-____-_ 30 Water supply.__-___-___--________--_-_-_--__--_-____-.--_--_____-_ 35 Stream regulation-________________________________________________ 36 Developed reservoirs__________________________________________ 36 Summary. _______________________________________________ 36 Snake River direct._______________________________________ 40 Minor tributaries above Henrys Fork________________________ 46 Henrys Fork Basin____________________________--________-_ 46 Mud Lake area.__________________________________________ 47 Willow Creek Basin_______________________________ 47 Blackfoot River Basin_____________________________________ 48 Big Lost, Little Lost, and Fish Creek Basins__________________ 49 Portneuf River Basin______________________________________ 50 Goose Creek.____________________________________________ 50 Salmon Falls River Basin__--______-__---___-_-_-_-___-__-_ 51 Big Wood River Basin_____________________________________ 52 Area between Big Wood River and Bruneau River____________ 53 Bruneau River Basin______________________________________ 54 Area between Bruneau River and Boise River._______________ 54 Boise River Basin.________________________________________ 54 Owyhee River Basin______________________-____--__________ 56 Payette River Basin___________________________________ ___ 58 Weiser River Basin________________-_____--_____-__________ 61 Malheur River Basin______________________________________ 62 Burnt River Basin_______________-_-___-_-_----_-_--______ 64 Powder River Basin___,___________-._______._______.______._ 64 Wallowa River Basin____._________-______-____---_________ 65 Salmon River Basin_______________________________________ 65 Clearwater River Basin.___________________________________ 65 m IV CONTENTS Stream regulation Continued. Page Undeveloped storage __________________________________________ 65 Summary ________________________________________________ 65 Snake River direct___-_________________-_________. ________ 70 Salt River Basin____________________________ 76 Henrys Fork Basin_-_-_______________-_--_-__-__-_______-- 76 Mud Lake area__-__-___-____________-_--_____-_-__-______ 81 Bear River Basin______-__-______________________________ 82 Area between Blackf oot River and Boise River _______________ 82 Boise River Basin_________________________________________ 84 Owyhee River Basin_____________________________________ 97 Payette River Basin___________-__-___-___________________ 98 Weiser River Basin_____________________ r ________________ 105 Birch Creek Basin_______________________________________ 106 Malheur River Basin___---_________-__---_--_--________-._ 106 Burnt River Basin______-__________________--___________-_ 106 Powder River Basin___---__-_____-_-_---____---___-__--_-_ 107 Imnaha River Basin______________________________________ 107 Grande Ronde River Basin_____________-_-__-__________-___ 108 Salmon River Basin_-___-__________-___-----_--_---_-_-___ 110 Clearwater River Basin__________________________________-._ 117 Palouse River Basin_______"________---____________-__--____ 117 Present irrigation._______-_-______________-___--____--__-__--__--_ 119 Summary. ___________________________________________________ 119 Snake River above Milner_ __________________________________ 123 Ririe to American Falls__________________-________-___--_-_ 123 Minidoka area_____________________-________-_--_--__-_-_- 124 South Side Twin Falls area_______________________ 125 North Side Twin Falls area__________________ __ 126 Water distribution and use--_---_------------------_--__--_ 126 Canal diversions______--___----------___--------__--_----_ 129 Snake River below Milner_________-__-_____-______-___--__-__ 131 Snake River tributaries---------------------------------------- 133 Tributaries in Jackson Hole, Wyo-__----____--___________ 133 Salt River to Heise________ ______ _- 134 Henrys Fork and tributaries--------- _____________________ 134 Mud Lake area_____________ ____________________________ 136 Henrys Fork to Big Wood River--_--------___---_-----__--_ 138 Big Wood and Little Wood Rivers.__ _____ 141 Big Wood River to Bruneau River__________ ____________ 144 Bruneau River__________________________________________ 145 Bruneau River to Owyhee River___________ _____________ 146 Owyhee River___________________-__-____________----___ 146 Boise River___-----_----_-_--__---_---------------------- 147 Malheur River_______----_---_-_________________-_ 149 Payette River___-____---___---__--------_-_-------------- 151 Weiser River____--______-_-__------__---_--_------------- 152 Burnt River_------------___---_---------_------------_-_- 153 Powder River_____--_______-____-__------____-_w---------- 153 Pine Creek__.____-________-___-_____--_----_-_--_---_---- 154 Imnaha River___-________-__-__-__--_---___---_---------_ 154 Salmon River_.___________________--___-_-____-___--_-__ 154 Grande Ronde River_______-___-__--_-_--___--__-__------_ 156 Snake River Basin below Lewiston___-__---_____----__----__ 156 CONTENTS V Page Soils, climate, and crops on irrigated land..._________________________ 156 Soil texture___________ __________________________________ 157 Climate________.__________._.________________ 158 Crops_____________.._______________________ 158 Future irrigation..__________ __________________________________ 165 Summary ____________________________________________________ 165 Water supply_________________________________________________ 167 Snake River direct____________________._______________________ 170 Idaho Falls area________________________-_---_____ 170 Minidoka extension_____--_______-_---_____--__.--_--_ _ 171 Murtaugh area________________-________________-_________ 171 Bruneau area__-____________________-____________-________ 171 Mountain Home-Sunnyside area__________________--____-___ 172 Tributaries---..--,________________-_______-___.__ 174 Wyoming-____--____________________-_____--____-___----_ 174 Henrys Fork_.._________________-.---._______.. 174 Mud Lake____-_______________-_-_----_--____-_---------- 175 Ground water in Snake River Plain.________________________ 176 Little and Big Lost River Valleys__-_------_--_-----__-_--_- 178 Blackfoot River____________________________ 179 Raft River_________________________________ 180 Owyhee River______________________________ 180 Boise River______________________/__________ 182 Malheur River____________________________________________ 185 Payette River__________________________________ 186 Powder River___________________________________________ 187 Lower Snake River in Washington_____-__-_--_-___-_---_-_- 188 Developed power.__-___-___-___-____________-____-______-____--_- 188 Summary. _______________________________________________ _ 188 Principal operating companies and transmission systems.__________ 192 Hydroelectric plants_________________________________________ 196 Snake River direct_-________________-___________-_____-___-___ 196 Minor tributaries above Henrys Fork____________________________ 202 Henrys Fork Basin_____________________________ 203 Tributaries between Henrys Fork and Boise River._______________ 204 Boise River Basin____________________________________________ 206 Payette River Basin_____-______________-______--__--___-___- 208 Weiser and Malheur River Basins.-------------------------- 210 Powder River Basin____-______________________-_-__-_-__-_-__- 211 Pine River Basin_______._____________________.-___.._______ 211 Grande Ronde River Basin___________________________________ 212 Asotin Creek.________________________________. 213 Salmon River Basin_____ ________________ _______________ 213 Clearwater River Basin_______._____________________-_-___-_- 216 Tributaries below Lewiston___________________________________ 217 Undeveloped