The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-12
SALMON RIVER AND ITS
POWER POSSIBILITIES
"RIVER OF NO RETURN" BEING
STUDIED BY U. S. GEoLoe-
lcAL SURVEY.

To determine the power aNdldDie
on the Salmon and lower Snake riv
ers from Salmon to Lewiston, Idaho,
party under the direction of w. G.
Hoyt. hydraulic engineer, made a
trip down those streams in 1921. The
trip was made on the famous 'One-
way boat" piloted by Capt Harry
Guleke. of Salmon. down the River of
No Return" so-called because the
river is navigable only downstream
and the boat is either sold or aban-
doned at the end of each trip. This
trip has been taken by many persons
on account of its scenic and recrea-
tional features. Manuscript copies of
report prepared as "a result of this
trip on the power resources of Salmon
river Idaho, have been placed on file
for public inspection at the Office of
the United States geological survey
department Of the interior at Wash
ington. d. c.. and at the Office of the
district engineer at Boise, Idaho, in
room 6l5. Idaho building.
Found by Lewis and Clark.
Salmon river is hte largest tribu-
tafy of the Snake 1t rises in south
central Idaho. flows east. north west
northwest and south across the cen
trail part of the state, and discharges
into Snake river about so miles up
stream from Lewiston. 1t drains an
area of $4,000 square miles in Idaho
and with the Snake drains two thirds
of the state 1t lies in a basin border
ed by the Seven Devils on the south
west; the Sawtooth mountains, Lost
River mountains and Lemhi range on
the south; and the Beaverhead noun
tains of the continental divide on the
east
In August 1905, Capt William
Clark and his party in a search for
the Columbia river, entered the Sal
mon river valley from the Beaverhead
river basin at a point near the site Of
the present city of Salmon. After ira
versing the valley for about so miles
he decided that it would be impossible
to continue down stream. having been
informed by the Indians that miles
of white water and now-covered
mountains" would prevent further
progress. At this time Salmon river
was named Lewis river by Capt Clark
after Meriwether Lewis the leader of
the expedition. Capt. Clark's party
then recrossed the continental divide
and went north finally hitting the
Nez Perez Indian trail, which they
followed westward to the Columbia.
Physical Features.
Salmon river may now be reached
by an auto stage that runs from Ket-
ohum to HALEY and along the river to
salmon; by the Gilmore & Pittsburgh
railroad from Armstead across the
continental divide to Salmon; and by
automobile from Meadows and
Grangeville BY special arrange
ments trips can now be made safely
and easily by boat throughout the
distance between Salmon and the
mouth of the river. Through the
greater part of it's course below SAL
mon the river flows through a mar
row, almost inaccessible valley. bound
ed by high granite ranges and con-
tanning few roadsor trails. In the up
per stretches of the river the slopes
are well watered and timbered and
big game abounds; in the lower
stretches the precipitation is light and
the valley is semi-arid. The flow of
the river is well sustained, and the
average fall is great being over Is a
mile for some 5O-mile stretches. The
walls of the valley are generally of
massive granite and afford numerous
good sites for dams
100000 Horsepower Possible.
The geological survey report con-
tains maps and descriptions of %
sites at which. it is estimated nearly
100000 horsepower could be develop
ed at times of low water and nearly /
twice that amount at times of medium /
flow. The project suggested for one |
of these sites contempiates the diver |
sion of the flow of Salmon river into
the Snake by means of a tunnel eight /
miles long which would create a head /
of 430 feet Power is already gener- |
ated ON some of the tributaries of the |
Salmon. The Salmon River Light & /
Power company operates a plant at /
Salmon to supply energy for public /
utilities and mining, and at White
bird a small plant is used to furnish /
current for lighting the village.
The report describes the present |
railroad routes to the northwest and /
considers proposed routes. especially .
the one along Salmon and Snake riv-
ers to Lewiston and its relation to
other routes.
Besides the technical discussion the
report contains a description of the
geographic and scenic features of the
basin and describes the methods of
navigation that are successfully used .