Most of the valley bottoms are privately owned. Land ownership is approximately 90 percent federal and 10 percent private. Snow pack is a key to stream flow each year. No appreciable water storage systems exist in any of the three basins except what is stored in the underground aquifers. Beef cattle are the number one agriculture product, with about 25,000 cows present in the three watersheds.
Some small dairies exist near Salmon.
Lamb production has dropped from an annual high of 50,000 animals in the 1960s to only 2,000 today. Most sheep grazing allotments have been converted to allotments for cattle. Hay is the primary crop and all croplands are flood or sprinkler irrigated. Public grazing allotments support about 80 percent of the cattle from May until mid-October. The wood products industry is active in the area, but only a small amount of logging takes place in the three watersheds.