The Payette River () is an river in southwestern Idaho and a major tributary of the Snake River.

Its headwaters originate in the Sawtooth and Salmon River Mountains at elevations over . Drainage in the watershed flows primarily from east to west, with the cumulative stream length to the head of the North Fork Payette River being , It is a physiographic section of the Columbia Plateau province, which in turn is part of the larger Intermontane Plateaus physiographic division. The South Fork of the Payette has its headwaters in the Sawtooth Wilderness, which is part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.

Geography

The principal tributaries of the Payette River are the North and South Forks. The North Fork drains about , beginning north of McCall and flowing into Payette Lake. The North Fork exits at the southwest end of Payette Lake at and flows south in the "Long Valley" of Valley County toward Cascade. It then flows into the Cascade Reservoir, then continues south, accompanied by Highway 55.

The South Fork Payette River drains about , originating on the west side of the Sawtooth Wilderness beneath the Mount Payette. It flows past Grandjean and down to Lowman, along Highway 21. The shorter Middle Fork Payette River parallels the lower North Fork to the east, flowing south and joining the South Fork just southwest of Crouch. Further east, the Deadwood River parallels the Middle Fork and empties into the South Fork just west of Lowman. The main stem of the Payette River is shown on USGS topographic maps as beginning at the confluence of the South and Middle forks.

In the early 19th century, Europeans began exploring western Idaho. Francois Payette, for whom the river is named, was a French-Canadian fur trapper who worked for the North West Company and was one of the first people of European descent to explore the Payette River basin. Payette ventured east from Fort Astoria in 1818. From 1835 to 1844, he headed the Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Boise trading post near Parma, on the Snake River some distance south of the Payette River. In 1844, Payette retired to Montreal, still over twenty years before settlers began to arrive in great numbers from the eastern United States. One of the first pioneer settlements was on Clear Creek, a tributary of the South Fork Payette River. Many of the Native Americans were unhappy with the new settlers for taking and causing damage to their lands, especially due to mining, logging, and grazing. Armed conflicts resulted, including the Nez Perce War of 1877, when the US Army was dispatched to western Idaho.

Fish and reservoirs

thumb|right|Cascade Dam forms Cascade Lake on the North Fork, the largest body of water in the Payette River drainage

Due to the wide range in elevation, the Payette River has a variety of fish and fish habitats. Salmon and steelhead were eliminated in the drainage by the Black Canyon Diversion Dam, which was first completed in 1924. From its mouth upstream to Black Canyon Dam, the river supports a mixed fishery for coldwater and warmwater species. Mountain whitefish make up the bulk of game fish in this section of river, with smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, rainbow trout, and brown trout making significant contributions. Upstream from Black Canyon Dam, the gradient of the river increases with coldwater species increasing in abundance. The South Fork of the Payette River supports excellent populations of wild rainbow trout. The North Fork of the Payette River has been severely altered by railroad and highway construction and provides only a marginal fishery for salmonids. However, in unaltered sections such as the Cabarton reach, the North Fork is very productive for salmonids.

There are five major impoundments in the Payette basin: Black Canyon, Sage Hen, Paddock, Cascade, and Deadwood reservoirs. There are also several small impoundments and natural lakes with increased storage, such as the three Payette Lakes. Black Canyon, on the mainstem, provides only marginal fish habitat. Sand from upstream land disturbances has covered most of the habitat. Paddock Reservoir, on Big Willow Creek, has one of the better populations of black crappie in the state and a good fishery for largemouth bass. Cascade Reservoir on the North Fork is one of the most heavily fished waters in the state. Cascade has an abundance of yellow perch, coho salmon, and rainbow trout. Deadwood Reservoir, completed in 1931, contains kokanee and cutthroat trout.

Alpine lakes within the Payette River drainage are stocked with rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, cutbow (rainbow-cutthroat hybrids), golden trout, and Arctic grayling. Brook trout are also present in a number of lakes.

Whitewater

The Payette River is famous for its whitewater. Experts call the North Fork Class V run one of the most challenging river reaches in North America, if not the world. Kayaking on the lower North Fork from Smith's Ferry to Banks is world-class, easily viewed from state highway #55, which closely hugs its bank, primarily on the west side. The lower North Fork narrows and drops 1700 feet (518 m) in the 16 miles (26 km) above Banks, providing nearly endless Class V rapids (see International Scale of River Difficulty). The average gradient is per mile (21 m/km) with a maximum gradient of 200 ft/mile (38 m/km). The North Fork's flow rate is controlled through the Cascade Dam, completed in 1948, providing relatively warm water from the shallow Cascade Reservoir.

To the east of Banks, the South Fork's Canyon, west of Lowman, is a challenging Class IV run for rafting. Along this trip is a Class VI waterfall (Big Falls), which is portaged. The North Fork and South Fork merge at Banks to form the Payette River (main), providing a float trip with numerous Class III rapids. The highway on this lower stretch of the river is on the east bank and a scenic railroad, the Thunder Mountain Line, runs above the west side.

See also

  • List of rivers of Idaho
  • List of longest streams of Idaho

References

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  • AllAboutRivers Payette River Page - Online rafting guide for the Payette River
  • Idaho Whitewater Trail Map - official state tourism site
  • Paddling.net - Payette River
  • Payette River Mountains Visitor Association - Payette River Mountains Visitor Association
  • American Whitewater.org - Class V: lower North Fork Payette River
  • Kayak Idaho.com - Payette River photos, maps, flows.
  • Payette River.org - general information & flow rates
  • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - major storage reservoirs in the Boise & Payette River basins - current levels & flows
  • Payette River Scenic Byway - Corridor Plan - Idaho Transportation Dept.
  • Deadwood Dam - Deadwood River into South Fork Payette River - Bureau of Reclamation
  • Cascade Dam - North Fork Payette River - Bureau of Reclamation
  • Black Canyon Dam - Payette River - Bureau of Reclamation
  • Payette River, Snake River to Black Canyon Reservoir - Idaho Fishing Planner - Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game - Species presence, fishing rules, stocking, maps, more..
  • Payette River, Black Canyon Reservoir to South Fork - Idaho Fishing Planner - Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game - Species presence, fishing rules, stocking, maps, more..