Clearwater River (Idaho)
Encyclopedia
The Clearwater River is a 74.8 miles (120.4 km) river in north central
Idaho
, which flows westward from the Bitterroot Mountains
along the Idaho-Montana
border, and joins the Snake River
at Lewiston
. In October 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition
descended the Clearwater River in dugout canoes, putting in at "Canoe Camp," five miles (8 km) downstream from Orofino
. By average discharge, the Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the Snake River, although the Salmon River
is longer and drains a greater area.
The drainage basin
of the Clearwater River is 9645 square miles (24,980.4 km²). Its mean annual discharge
is 15300 cuft/s
in the east, while the much smaller South Fork originates in the Rockies to the south. From the confluence the river meanders northwards, passing a site of the Nez Perce National Historical Park
. U.S. Highway 12 follows the river to Kamiah, where it is joined by Lawyer Creek.
The river then continues north through a canyon to the confluence with Lolo Creek. It soon passes the town of Greer
and receives Big Creek from the right. At Orofino the river swings northwest and runs in a nearly straight line for about 3 miles (4.8 km), then receives the North Fork Clearwater River
from the right at Ahsahka close to Dworshak Reservoir. After the North Fork contributes its flow, the Clearwater trends west and receives Big Canyon Creek from the left, and Bedrock Creek from the right.
As the river canyon cuts deeper into the Columbia Plateau
, the Clearwater passes the unincorporated communities of Myrtle and Arrow, where it receives the Potlatch River
from the right. Lapwai Creek joins from the left where the river passes close to Spalding
. Here, U.S. Highway 95 crosses the Clearwater while Highway 12 continues running along the north shore. The river soon widens and slows into the slack water of Lower Granite Lake as it approaches Lewiston
. Just as it crosses the Idaho-Washington state line, it joins its waters with the Snake River.
is the only major lake
on the Clearwater system, created from the Dworshak Dam
, completed in the early 1970s. Dworshak Dam is on the North Fork of the Clearwater River, and is just northwest of Orofino
. There is no fish ladder
; the dam blocks salmon
and steelhead passage.
was defined as the meridian running north from the confluence of the Clearwater River and the Snake River
. Although this border is often referred to as the 117th meridian west
longitude, the actual border line is slightly west (less than 2 miles) of the 117th meridian.
North Central Idaho
North Central Idaho is an area which spans the central part of the state of Idaho and borders Oregon, Montana, and Washington. It is the southern half of the Idaho Panhandle region and is rich in agriculture and natural resources. Lewis and Clark travelled throughout this area on their journey to...
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....
, which flows westward from the Bitterroot Mountains
Bitterroot Mountains
The Northern and Central Bitterroot Range, collectively the Bitterroot Mountains, is the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the panhandle of Idaho and westernmost Montana in the Western United States...
along the Idaho-Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
border, and joins the Snake River
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...
at Lewiston
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
. In October 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
descended the Clearwater River in dugout canoes, putting in at "Canoe Camp," five miles (8 km) downstream from Orofino
Orofino, Idaho
Orofino is a city in Clearwater County, Idaho, along Orofino Creek and the north bank of the Clearwater River. The population was 3,247 at the 2000 census, and the city is the county seat of Clearwater County...
. By average discharge, the Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the Snake River, although the Salmon River
Salmon River (Idaho)
The Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. The Salmon is also known as The River of No Return. It flows for through central Idaho, draining and dropping more than between its headwaters, near Galena Summit above the Sawtooth Valley in the Sawtooth National...
is longer and drains a greater area.
The drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the Clearwater River is 9645 square miles (24,980.4 km²). Its mean annual discharge
Discharge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
is 15300 cuft/s
Course
At the small town of Kooskia, the Middle Fork and South Forks of the Clearwater River join their waters to form the main stem of the Clearwater. The large Middle Fork flows from the Continental DivideContinental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
in the east, while the much smaller South Fork originates in the Rockies to the south. From the confluence the river meanders northwards, passing a site of the Nez Perce National Historical Park
Nez Perce National Historical Park
The Nez Perce National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park comprising 38 sites located throughout the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington which are the traditional aboriginal lands of the Nez Perce. The sites commemorate the history, culture, and stories of the...
. U.S. Highway 12 follows the river to Kamiah, where it is joined by Lawyer Creek.
The river then continues north through a canyon to the confluence with Lolo Creek. It soon passes the town of Greer
Greer, Idaho
Greer is an unincorporated community in Clearwater County, Idaho, United States. Greer is located along the Clearwater River and Idaho State Highway 11 near the latter's junction with U.S. Route 12, southeast of Orofino....
and receives Big Creek from the right. At Orofino the river swings northwest and runs in a nearly straight line for about 3 miles (4.8 km), then receives the North Fork Clearwater River
North Fork Clearwater River
The North Fork Clearwater River is a major tributary of the Clearwater River in the U.S. state of Idaho.From its headwaters in the Bitterroot Mountains of eastern Idaho, it flows southwest, north, then again southwest, and is dammed by the Dworshak Dam just above its mouth at the Clearwater in...
from the right at Ahsahka close to Dworshak Reservoir. After the North Fork contributes its flow, the Clearwater trends west and receives Big Canyon Creek from the left, and Bedrock Creek from the right.
As the river canyon cuts deeper into the Columbia Plateau
Columbia Plateau
The Columbia Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains, cut through by the Columbia River...
, the Clearwater passes the unincorporated communities of Myrtle and Arrow, where it receives the Potlatch River
Potlatch River
The Potlatch River is in the state of Idaho in the United States. About long, it is the lowermost major tributary to the Clearwater River, a tributary of the Snake River that is in turn a tributary of the Columbia River...
from the right. Lapwai Creek joins from the left where the river passes close to Spalding
Spalding, Idaho
Spalding is an unincorporated village in Nez Percé County, Idaho, United States, ten miles east of Lewiston, on the Clearwater River close to the intersection of U.S. Routes 95 and 12...
. Here, U.S. Highway 95 crosses the Clearwater while Highway 12 continues running along the north shore. The river soon widens and slows into the slack water of Lower Granite Lake as it approaches Lewiston
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
. Just as it crosses the Idaho-Washington state line, it joins its waters with the Snake River.
Tributaries
The Clearwater breaks into several separate forks:- Clearwater River (west of OrofinoOrofino, IdahoOrofino is a city in Clearwater County, Idaho, along Orofino Creek and the north bank of the Clearwater River. The population was 3,247 at the 2000 census, and the city is the county seat of Clearwater County...
to LewistonLewiston, IdahoLewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
-Snake RiverSnake RiverThe 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...
)- Potlatch RiverPotlatch RiverThe Potlatch River is in the state of Idaho in the United States. About long, it is the lowermost major tributary to the Clearwater River, a tributary of the Snake River that is in turn a tributary of the Columbia River...
(Latah, Clearwater and Nez Perce Counties) - North Fork Clearwater RiverNorth Fork Clearwater RiverThe North Fork Clearwater River is a major tributary of the Clearwater River in the U.S. state of Idaho.From its headwaters in the Bitterroot Mountains of eastern Idaho, it flows southwest, north, then again southwest, and is dammed by the Dworshak Dam just above its mouth at the Clearwater in...
(stream, Clearwater County - 46°29′59"N 116°19′49"W; headwaters near Illinois Peak to just west of OrofinoOrofino, IdahoOrofino is a city in Clearwater County, Idaho, along Orofino Creek and the north bank of the Clearwater River. The population was 3,247 at the 2000 census, and the city is the county seat of Clearwater County...
)- Little North Fork Clearwater River (stream, ShoshoneShoshone County, IdahoShoshone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1864, named for the Native American Shoshone tribe. The population was 12,765 at the 2010 census. Shoshone County is commonly referred to as the Silver Valley, due to its century-old mining history...
& ClearwaterClearwater County, IdahoClearwater County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1911, the county was named after the Clearwater River. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 8,930 . The county seat is Orofino....
Counties; headwaters in south-central Shoshone County, joins the North Fork in the Dworshak ReservoirDworshak DamDworshak Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity dam in Clearwater County, Idaho, United States on the North Fork Clearwater River. The dam is located northwest of the city of Orofino, and east of Lewiston. The dam is the highest straight-axis concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere and the 22nd...
)
- Little North Fork Clearwater River (stream, Shoshone
- Middle Fork Clearwater River (stream, Idaho CountyIdaho County, IdahoIdaho County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 16,267. The county seat is Grangeville...
- 46°08′43"N 115°58′56"W; formed by the confluence of the SelwaySelway RiverThe Selway River is located in north central Idaho in the northwestern United States within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It is a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River in the Clearwater National Forest...
and LochsaLochsa RiverThe Lochsa River is located in the northwestern United States, in the mountains of north central Idaho. It is one of two primary tributaries of the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River in the Clearwater National Forest. Lochsa is a Nez Perce word meaning rough water.The Lochsa was included by the...
at Lowell) - South Fork Clearwater River (stream, Idaho CountyIdaho County, IdahoIdaho County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 16,267. The county seat is Grangeville...
- 46°08′44"N 115°58′56"W; headwaters near Red River Hot Springs to KooskiaKooskia, IdahoKooskia is a city in Idaho County, Idaho, United States. The population was 675 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kooskia is located at ....
, confluence with the Middle Fork)- Little Clearwater River (stream, Idaho CountyIdaho County, IdahoIdaho County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 16,267. The county seat is Grangeville...
- 45°45′11"N 114°46′31"W; near Three Prong Mountain to near Spot Mountain)
- Little Clearwater River (stream, Idaho County
- Potlatch River
River modifications
The Dworshak ReservoirDworshak Dam
Dworshak Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity dam in Clearwater County, Idaho, United States on the North Fork Clearwater River. The dam is located northwest of the city of Orofino, and east of Lewiston. The dam is the highest straight-axis concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere and the 22nd...
is the only major lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
on the Clearwater system, created from the Dworshak Dam
Dworshak Dam
Dworshak Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity dam in Clearwater County, Idaho, United States on the North Fork Clearwater River. The dam is located northwest of the city of Orofino, and east of Lewiston. The dam is the highest straight-axis concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere and the 22nd...
, completed in the early 1970s. Dworshak Dam is on the North Fork of the Clearwater River, and is just northwest of Orofino
Orofino, Idaho
Orofino is a city in Clearwater County, Idaho, along Orofino Creek and the north bank of the Clearwater River. The population was 3,247 at the 2000 census, and the city is the county seat of Clearwater County...
. There is no fish ladder
Fish ladder
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial barriers to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps into the waters on...
; the dam blocks 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...
and steelhead passage.
History
The border between Washington and IdahoIdaho
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....
was defined as the meridian running north from the confluence of the Clearwater River and the Snake River
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...
. Although this border is often referred to as the 117th meridian west
117th meridian west
The meridian 117° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
longitude, the actual border line is slightly west (less than 2 miles) of the 117th meridian.