Salmon Falls Creek
Encyclopedia
Salmon Falls Creek is a tributary of the Snake River
, flowing from northern Nevada
into Idaho
in the United States
. Formed in high mountains at the northern edge of the Great Basin
, Salmon Falls Creek flows northwards 121 miles (194.7 km), draining an arid and mountainous basin of 2103 mi2. The Salmon Falls Creek valley served as a trading route between the Native American groups of the Snake River Plain
and Great Basin, but now most of its water is used for irrigation
.
of northern Nevada at the confluence of its North and South Forks. The North Fork, sometimes considered the main stem of Salmon Falls Creek, is 24.3 miles (39.1 km) long, and the South Fork 12.1 miles (19.5 km) long. Many of the creek's headwater streams originate in the Humboldt National Forest and converge to form a short canyon. At the confluence with Jakes Creek the creek swings northeast into the O'Neil Basin, a valley along U.S. Highway 93, flowing north 40 miles (64.4 km), then passes the town of Jackpot
and receives Shoshone Creek, its largest tributary, from the right.
From the Shoshone Creek confluence, Salmon Falls Creek enters another canyon that takes it 11 miles (17.7 km) across the Nevada-Idaho state border, merging with Cottonwood Creek, into Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, formed by a arch concrete dam constructed across the creek between 1908-1910. After passing through the long and narrow lake, the creek cuts into a deep canyon as it enters the Snake River Plain
, receiving Cedar Creek and Big Creek near Castleford
. The creek empties into the Snake River 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Hagerman
.
Before irrigation diversions began in the early 20th century, the average flow at the mouth was 345 cuft/s. Following the construction of Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir and the diversion of many of its tributaries, the flow at its mouth from 2002 to 2005 averaged 116.5 cuft/s. The average discharge upstream of the reservoir was 34.3 cuft/s. Much of the flow below the reservoir is provided by four major irrigation drains that carry runoff from the extensive agricultural areas surrounding lower Salmon Falls Creek, because Salmon Falls Dam does not release any water into the stream. Work has been done to reduce pollutants flowing into the lower creek from these drains, including excess nitrogen
, phosphorus
and fecal coliforms.
plateau
of the Snake River Plain
.
As a whole, the entire Salmon Falls Creek watershed is very arid. Much of the basin receives less than 10 inches (25.4 cm) of rain annually, while the mountainous areas may get up to 30 inches (76.2 cm). Rainfall in the mountains provides most of the perennial flow into Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, while springs from the Snake River Aquifer also provide some water.
Several major tributary streams provide much of the flow of Salmon Falls Creek as well. The largest tributary is Shoshone Creek, which flows west from the Sawtooth National Forest
and enters just upstream of the town of Jackpot
. Cottonwood, China, Big, House, Jakes, and Cedar Creeks are some of the other perennial streams in the basin. Since Cedar Creek Reservoir was impounded in 1905, water no longer flows down the creek, whose course is mostly within Idaho. The southern portion of the watershed harbors many springs escaping from the foothills of the mountains, feeding the upper tributary streams. The lower Salmon Falls Creek forms part of the boundary between the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer
and Western Snake River Plain Aquifer. Most of the southern basin lies between the Jarbidge Mountains and Granite Range
on the west and the Sawtooth Mountains on the east, with many peaks rising to 10000 feet (3,048 m) or more.
The basin and range topography of northern Nevada and the extensive and flat Snake River Plain characterize the geologically young Salmon Falls Creek basin. The Basin and Range area was created by crustal stretching along an area dense in faults runnng north to south, with valleys forming along the fault lines. Sediments deposited by streams and lakes in the Pliocene
and Miocene
filled much of the present-day main stem valley. Lower on the creek, basalt
rocks of volcanic origin and thick deposits of loess
soil compose the primary surface geology. Beginning about 12 million years ago, the North American Plate
slowly passed over a large volcanic hotspot
, which formed and caused frequent volcanic activity throughout the Snake River Plain. The hotspot, which now lies beneath Yellowstone National Park
, deposited massive lava flows throughout the plain. About 14,500 years ago, the Bonneville Flood
rushed through the Snake River Plain, carving out and extending many canyons including lower Salmon Falls Creek Canyon. The extent of the floods was so great that most of lower Salmon Falls Creek pooled up into a temporary lake as miles of land were submerged on both sides of the Snake. Wind-blown soil and sediment deposited by the floods have covered most of the basalt, which is still exposed in areas such as Salmon Falls Creek Canyon.
Pollution from agricultural runoff and overtaxing of water resources is a prevailing issue in the Salmon Falls Creek watershed. With heavy groundwater withdrawal, many of the springs feeding the lower Salmon Falls Creek have decreased in volume. Because the 220 feet (67.1 m)-high Salmon Falls Dam has not released any water since the floods of 1984, the lower creek depends almost entirely on irrigation runoff drainage to sustain its flow. Pollutants in the runoff have, as a result, hurt the vegetation corridor in the lower canyon. Several tributaries flowing from northern Nevada into southern Idaho have been diverted, leaving even less water to replenish the lower creek.
, the historical upriver limit of migrating salmon
on the Snake River, Salmon Falls Creek's name may have been derived from there. Other names for the creek have included Holmes Creek, Salmon Creek, Salmon Falls River, and the Salmon River.
The Salmon Falls Creek valley was an important trading route through which the Shoshone
Indians in the Snake River Plain and the Paiute
in the Great Basin interacted. The first Europeans to see the creek were likely fur trappers from the British Hudson's Bay Company
travelling through the area in the early 19th century. Over time, settlers established farms and cattle ranches in the Snake River Plain, and in 1909, the Salmon Falls Creek was first proposed to be the site of an irrigation dam. At this point in time, the creek was still more of a river, fed by springs in the extensive Snake River Aquifer
and snowmelt from the Jarbidge Mountains. The original proposal called for approximately 130000 acres (526.1 km²) of land to be irrigated by water from Salmon Falls Creek, and the Salmon Falls Dam was built in 1906 and raised in 1934. However, the watershed provided much less water than originally expected, and only 35000 acres (141.6 km²) of the original land ended up being irrigated.
, lined with coyote willow, dogwood
, golden currant, cattail, mint
and poison ivy
. The upper section is a slow-moving waterway that supports a small wetland
and extensive meadow
s. In contrast, the vast majority of the upper undeveloped watershed is a shrub-steppe
sagebrush
grassland
, much of which is used for grazing
. Many bird species use the Salmon Falls Creek canyon, including white-throated swift
, canyon and rock wren
s, cliff swallow
, violet-green swallow
, barn swallow
, screech owl, long-eared owl
, great horned owl
, kestrel
, red-tailed hawk
, golden eagle
s and prairie falcon
. Mule deer
also inhabit areas of the middle and upper Salmon Falls Creek basin.
Although the namesake Pacific salmon are no longer present in the creek, many fish inhabit the main stem and its tributaries throughout, but especially in Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir. Many fish are stocked in the reservoir including brown trout
, chinook salmon
, kokanee salmon (landlocked sockeye
), yellow perch
black crappie, channel catfish
, smallmouth bass
, and especially abundant is walleye
. The Salmon Falls Creek reservoir is said to be one of the most plentiful fisheries in southern Idaho.
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
, flowing from northern Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
into Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Formed in high mountains at the northern edge of the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
, Salmon Falls Creek flows northwards 121 miles (194.7 km), draining an arid and mountainous basin of 2103 mi2. The Salmon Falls Creek valley served as a trading route between the Native American groups of the Snake River Plain
Snake River Plain
The Snake River Plain is a geologic feature located primarily within the state of Idaho in the United States of America. It stretches about westward from northwest of the state of Wyoming to the Idaho-Oregon border. The plain is a wide flat bow-shaped depression, and covers about a quarter of Idaho...
and Great Basin, but now most of its water is used for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
.
Course
Salmon Falls Creek rises in the arid Jarbidge MountainsJarbidge Mountains
The Jarbidge Mountains are a range of high peaks in northern Elko County, in northeastern Nevada in the western United States. The range extends southward approximately 25 miles from a point near the small community of Jarbidge. To the east is the East Fork of the Jarbidge River, O'Neil...
of northern Nevada at the confluence of its North and South Forks. The North Fork, sometimes considered the main stem of Salmon Falls Creek, is 24.3 miles (39.1 km) long, and the South Fork 12.1 miles (19.5 km) long. Many of the creek's headwater streams originate in the Humboldt National Forest and converge to form a short canyon. At the confluence with Jakes Creek the creek swings northeast into the O'Neil Basin, a valley along U.S. Highway 93, flowing north 40 miles (64.4 km), then passes the town of Jackpot
Jackpot, Nevada
Jackpot is an unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The Zip Code Tabulation Area for its ZIP code, 89825, had a population of 1,189 as of the 2010 census. Located less than 1 mile from the Idaho border on U.S...
and receives Shoshone Creek, its largest tributary, from the right.
From the Shoshone Creek confluence, Salmon Falls Creek enters another canyon that takes it 11 miles (17.7 km) across the Nevada-Idaho state border, merging with Cottonwood Creek, into Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, formed by a arch concrete dam constructed across the creek between 1908-1910. After passing through the long and narrow lake, the creek cuts into a deep canyon as it enters the Snake River Plain
Snake River Plain
The Snake River Plain is a geologic feature located primarily within the state of Idaho in the United States of America. It stretches about westward from northwest of the state of Wyoming to the Idaho-Oregon border. The plain is a wide flat bow-shaped depression, and covers about a quarter of Idaho...
, receiving Cedar Creek and Big Creek near Castleford
Castleford, Idaho
Castleford is a city in Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 277 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Twin Falls, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The creek empties into the Snake River 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Hagerman
Hagerman, Idaho
Hagerman is a town in Gooding County, Idaho, United States. The population was 768 at the 2007 census.-Geography:Hagerman is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
.
Before irrigation diversions began in the early 20th century, the average flow at the mouth was 345 cuft/s. Following the construction of Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir and the diversion of many of its tributaries, the flow at its mouth from 2002 to 2005 averaged 116.5 cuft/s. The average discharge upstream of the reservoir was 34.3 cuft/s. Much of the flow below the reservoir is provided by four major irrigation drains that carry runoff from the extensive agricultural areas surrounding lower Salmon Falls Creek, because Salmon Falls Dam does not release any water into the stream. Work has been done to reduce pollutants flowing into the lower creek from these drains, including excess nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
, phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
and fecal coliforms.
Watershed
Spread across approximately 2103 mi2 with 871 mi2 in the state of Idaho, the Salmon Falls Creek basin drains portions of Elko County in Nevada and Owyhee and Twin Falls County in Idaho. Much of the southern portion of the watershed is part of the Basin and Range Province of northern Nevada, while the lower watershed is characterized by the basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
of the Snake River Plain
Snake River Plain
The Snake River Plain is a geologic feature located primarily within the state of Idaho in the United States of America. It stretches about westward from northwest of the state of Wyoming to the Idaho-Oregon border. The plain is a wide flat bow-shaped depression, and covers about a quarter of Idaho...
.
As a whole, the entire Salmon Falls Creek watershed is very arid. Much of the basin receives less than 10 inches (25.4 cm) of rain annually, while the mountainous areas may get up to 30 inches (76.2 cm). Rainfall in the mountains provides most of the perennial flow into Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, while springs from the Snake River Aquifer also provide some water.
Several major tributary streams provide much of the flow of Salmon Falls Creek as well. The largest tributary is Shoshone Creek, which flows west from the Sawtooth National Forest
Sawtooth National Forest
Sawtooth National Forest is in Idaho and Utah was protected in 1905 by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt as the Sawtooth Forest Reserve. Today the forest administers over 2.1 million acres of some of the most remote forestland in the lower 48 states, and there are over 1,000 lakes and 3,000...
and enters just upstream of the town of Jackpot
Jackpot, Nevada
Jackpot is an unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The Zip Code Tabulation Area for its ZIP code, 89825, had a population of 1,189 as of the 2010 census. Located less than 1 mile from the Idaho border on U.S...
. Cottonwood, China, Big, House, Jakes, and Cedar Creeks are some of the other perennial streams in the basin. Since Cedar Creek Reservoir was impounded in 1905, water no longer flows down the creek, whose course is mostly within Idaho. The southern portion of the watershed harbors many springs escaping from the foothills of the mountains, feeding the upper tributary streams. The lower Salmon Falls Creek forms part of the boundary between the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer
Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer
The Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer north of the Snake River is a remarkable aquifer of great resource and economic significance. It is not a single homogeneous geologic formation. Rather it consists of a volcanic pile of the Quaternary Snake River Group basalts. In eastern Idaho, these basalts...
and Western Snake River Plain Aquifer. Most of the southern basin lies between the Jarbidge Mountains and Granite Range
Granite Range (Elko County)
The Granite Range is a mountain range in Elko County, Nevada....
on the west and the Sawtooth Mountains on the east, with many peaks rising to 10000 feet (3,048 m) or more.
The basin and range topography of northern Nevada and the extensive and flat Snake River Plain characterize the geologically young Salmon Falls Creek basin. The Basin and Range area was created by crustal stretching along an area dense in faults runnng north to south, with valleys forming along the fault lines. Sediments deposited by streams and lakes in the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
and Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
filled much of the present-day main stem valley. Lower on the creek, basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
rocks of volcanic origin and thick deposits of loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
soil compose the primary surface geology. Beginning about 12 million years ago, the North American Plate
North American Plate
The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Japan and Iceland. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust...
slowly passed over a large volcanic hotspot
Hotspot (geology)
The places known as hotspots or hot spots in geology are volcanic regions thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the mantle elsewhere. They may be on, near to, or far from tectonic plate boundaries. There are two hypotheses to explain them...
, which formed and caused frequent volcanic activity throughout the Snake River Plain. The hotspot, which now lies beneath Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, deposited massive lava flows throughout the plain. About 14,500 years ago, the Bonneville Flood
Bonneville Flood
The Bonneville Flood or Lake Bonneville Flood was a catastrophic flooding event in the previous ice age, which involved massive amounts of water inundating parts of southern Idaho and eastern Washington along the course of the Snake River. Unlike the Missoula Floods, which also occurred during the...
rushed through the Snake River Plain, carving out and extending many canyons including lower Salmon Falls Creek Canyon. The extent of the floods was so great that most of lower Salmon Falls Creek pooled up into a temporary lake as miles of land were submerged on both sides of the Snake. Wind-blown soil and sediment deposited by the floods have covered most of the basalt, which is still exposed in areas such as Salmon Falls Creek Canyon.
Pollution from agricultural runoff and overtaxing of water resources is a prevailing issue in the Salmon Falls Creek watershed. With heavy groundwater withdrawal, many of the springs feeding the lower Salmon Falls Creek have decreased in volume. Because the 220 feet (67.1 m)-high Salmon Falls Dam has not released any water since the floods of 1984, the lower creek depends almost entirely on irrigation runoff drainage to sustain its flow. Pollutants in the runoff have, as a result, hurt the vegetation corridor in the lower canyon. Several tributaries flowing from northern Nevada into southern Idaho have been diverted, leaving even less water to replenish the lower creek.
History
Being the first major tributary to enter downstream of Shoshone FallsShoshone Falls
Shoshone Falls is a waterfall on the Snake River located approximately five miles east of Twin Falls, Idaho. Sometimes called the "Niagara of the West," Shoshone Falls is 212 feet high—45 feet higher than Niagara Falls—and flows over a rim 1,000 feet wide.A park overlooking the waterfall is...
, the historical upriver limit of migrating salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
on the Snake River, Salmon Falls Creek's name may have been derived from there. Other names for the creek have included Holmes Creek, Salmon Creek, Salmon Falls River, and the Salmon River.
The Salmon Falls Creek valley was an important trading route through which the Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
Indians in the Snake River Plain and the Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
in the Great Basin interacted. The first Europeans to see the creek were likely fur trappers from the British Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
travelling through the area in the early 19th century. Over time, settlers established farms and cattle ranches in the Snake River Plain, and in 1909, the Salmon Falls Creek was first proposed to be the site of an irrigation dam. At this point in time, the creek was still more of a river, fed by springs in the extensive Snake River Aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
and snowmelt from the Jarbidge Mountains. The original proposal called for approximately 130000 acres (526.1 km²) of land to be irrigated by water from Salmon Falls Creek, and the Salmon Falls Dam was built in 1906 and raised in 1934. However, the watershed provided much less water than originally expected, and only 35000 acres (141.6 km²) of the original land ended up being irrigated.
Biology and fish
The Salmon Falls Creek watershed varies widely in terms of different habitats. Along the lower section of the creek, plentiful water flow and numerous springs create a rich riparian environment compared to an oasisOasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
, lined with coyote willow, dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
, golden currant, cattail, mint
Mentha
Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...
and poison ivy
Poison ivy
Toxicodendron radicans, better known as poison ivy , is a poisonous North American plant that is well known for its production of urushiol, a clear liquid compound found within the sap of the plant that causes an itching rash in most people who touch it...
. The upper section is a slow-moving waterway that supports a small wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
and extensive meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s. In contrast, the vast majority of the upper undeveloped watershed is a shrub-steppe
Shrub-steppe
Shrub-steppe is a type of low rainfall natural grassland. Shrub-steppes are distinguishable from deserts, which are too dry to support a noticeable cover of perennial grasses or other shrubs, while the shrub-steppe has sufficient moisture levels to support a cover of perennial grasses and/or...
sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, much of which is used for grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
. Many bird species use the Salmon Falls Creek canyon, including white-throated swift
White-throated Swift
The White-throated Swift is a swift of the family Apodidae native to western North America, south to cordilleran western Honduras...
, canyon and rock wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s, cliff swallow
Cliff Swallow
The Cliff Swallow is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae — the swallows and martins.It breeds in North America, and is migratory, wintering in western South America from Venezuela southwards to northeast Argentina...
, violet-green swallow
Violet-green Swallow
The Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina, is a small North American swallow.Their breeding habitat is semi-open areas in western North America from Alaska to Mexico...
, barn swallow
Barn Swallow
The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
, screech owl, long-eared owl
Long-eared Owl
The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl...
, great horned owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
, kestrel
Kestrel
The name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects...
, red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
, golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s and prairie falcon
Prairie Falcon
The Prairie Falcon is a medium-sized falcon of western North America.It is about the size of a Peregrine Falcon or a crow, with an average length of 40 cm , wingspan of 1 metre , and weight of 720 g...
. Mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
also inhabit areas of the middle and upper Salmon Falls Creek basin.
Although the namesake Pacific salmon are no longer present in the creek, many fish inhabit the main stem and its tributaries throughout, but especially in Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir. Many fish are stocked in the reservoir including brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, chinook salmon
Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
, kokanee salmon (landlocked sockeye
Sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon , also called red salmon or blueback salmon in the USA, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it...
), yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
black crappie, channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, and especially abundant is walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
. The Salmon Falls Creek reservoir is said to be one of the most plentiful fisheries in southern Idaho.
See also
- List of rivers of Idaho
- List of rivers of Nevada
- List of tributaries of the Columbia River
- Bruneau RiverBruneau RiverThe Bruneau River is a tributary of the Snake River, in the U.S. states of Idaho and Nevada. It runs through a narrow canyon cut into ancient lava flows in southwestern Idaho...
- Hagerman Fossil Beds National MonumentHagerman Fossil Beds National MonumentHagerman Fossil Beds National Monument near Hagerman, Idaho, contains the largest concentration of Hagerman Horse fossils in North America. The fossil horses for which the Monument is famous have been found in only one locale in the northern portion of the Monument called the Hagerman Horse Quarry...
- Thousand Springs
- Lost streams of Idaho
- Snake River Canyon (Idaho)Snake River Canyon (Idaho)Snake River Canyon is a large canyon formed by the Snake River in the Magic Valley region of southern Idaho. It is well known as the site of an unsuccessful 1974 attempt by Evel Knievel to jump it in the Skycycle X-2....