The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-11-17
CINDER BUTTES
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GEDITOR' s NOTE-We are indebt-
ed to the United States Geological
Survey for much important data on
the Snake river plains, but he who
studies nature as he sees 1t, can
scarcely miss reading some of the re-
cord of land sculpture as 1t Is spread
out before us. Where irrigation Is
practised, the irigator can watch the
process of land sculpture in the mine
ature Eat the end of the potato rows, I"
and see reproduction of the carving
of canyons, building "alluvial fans"
benches, transverse river beds, deltas
and bars, and notice the effect of Sec
ondary flows, etc.
The boy who never went to college
and has little of book learning may
have seen all the forms in his home
valley carved out in miniature on
square rod or square yard, while irri-
eating, and compared the small model
with the greater one until he under
stands the process by which it was
formed, and these daily lessons are
more to be depended on than the les
sons of the classroom. 1t is such
studies as these in the field that men
refer to as getting close to nature"
and we want to add, "God bless
the man who works and studies ma
ture while he g,eans."]
1t is not true that the Snake river
plains are las old as the hills" for
the hills were here first, and the
plain was finished off later. There is
evidence that long ago, violent erup.
ton occurred that closed the outlet
to the Snake river valley by placing
a mountain range across it below Wei
ser, near the Idaho-Oregon line, and
for long time it was a lake whose
upper shore line was above Dubois
and st. Anthony.
Old volcanic cones like the
Big Butte and the Northern
Butte, whose craters were closed,
were washed by the waters of the lake
and much matter from their steep
slopes was washed down and deposit
ed about their bases in the form of
"talus slopes" and "alluvial fans"
Gradually the pent up waters cut
through the obstruction below Weiser,
and the water line was lowered, so
that scarcely any well-defined shore
lines were left. Streams flowing out
into the lake, and the muddy waters
of the lake, deposited mud or silt to
some extent all over the lake bed.
Where Big Lost river flowed into
the lake, the deposit of silt was very
great, and as the water line receded,
the flow from the valley spread it
farther and farther out on the plain,
making vast alluvial fan, reaching
from the mouth of the valley, nearly
to the Big Butte, and spreading fan
like for 20 or 80 miles in each direc-
ton, including Era Flat, Champagne
Flat, Powell Flat and the Sinks of
Big Lost river near Howe. The lava
flow which changed the face of the
plain will be spoken of later.
The flow from the valley of Little
Lost river, though hundreds of times
as much as it is now, was much less
than from its sister valley, and built
an alluvial fan a few miles in extent,
and the flow nearly ceased while the
other stream was yet large. The mat
ter deposited at the mouth of the val
ley was loose, and allowed the water
to sink through it and pass under
the old lava deposit. Had there been
hard pan or layer of something near
the surface that would hold water, a
channel would have been cut through
to the Sinks of Big Lost river, east
of Howe. A similar condition pre-
vailed at the Sinks Of Birch creek,
but the streams farther eastward,
especially Camas creek. graded up
and carried farther into the lake or
plain.
The, North Fork Of Snake river did
not carry much matter into the lake
or plain. but the South Fork built up
a vast delta. building from the foot
hills to the west and north, turning