List of longest streams of Idaho

A total of seventy streams that are at least 50 miles (80 km) long flow through the U.S. state of Idaho. All of these streams originate in the United States except the Kootenai River (third-longest) and the Moyie River (thirty-first-longest), both of which begin in the Canadian province of British Columbia. At 1,076 miles (1,732 km), the Snake River is the longest and the only stream of more than 500 miles (800 km) in total length. It begins in Wyoming and flows through Idaho for 769 miles (1,238 km), and then through Oregon and Washington. Some of the other streams also cross borders between Idaho and Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming, but the majority flow entirely within Idaho, the longest of which is the Salmon River at 425 miles (684 km).

A midsized stream flowing beneath snow-capped mountains
The Big Wood River (10th-longest) in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in Blaine County

All but four of the streams lie within the large basin of the Columbia River, although the river itself does not flow through Idaho. Consequently, the predominant direction of the state's streamflow is northwest towards the Columbia River and its mouth at the Pacific Ocean. The only other major drainage basin in Idaho is the Great Salt Lake watershed in the state's southeastern corner, which is part of the Great Basin and has no outlet to the ocean. The Bear River, the second-longest stream, is within this watershed, along with the Malad River, Deep Creek, and the Logan River.

Source data for the table below comes from topographic maps created by the United States Geological Survey and published online by TopoQuest, and on the Idaho Road and Recreation Atlas, the National Hydrography Dataset, the Geographic Names Information System, and other sources as noted. In the table, total lengths are given in miles (mi) and kilometers (km).

Table

Snake River (longest) cutting through the Snake River Plain near Twin Falls
Bear River (2nd longest) in Bear River State Park, Wyoming
Kootenai River (3rd longest) south of Libby Dam, Montana
Salmon River (4th longest) below the Sawtooth Mountains
Owyhee River (5th longest) south of Mountain City, Nevada
Clark Fork (6th longest) in Missoula, Montana
Palouse River (7th longest) flowing over Palouse Falls, Washington
Bruneau River (8th longest) in southwestern Idaho
Saint Joe River (9th longest) in the Saint Joe National Forest
North Fork Clearwater River (13th longest) below Dworshak Dam
Portneuf River (17th longest) west of Soda Springs
Salmon Falls Creek (19th longest) below Salmon Falls Dam
Pend Oreille River (20th longest) at Albeni Falls Dam
Spokane River (21st longest) in downtown Spokane, Washington
North Fork Payette River (24th longest) near Smiths Ferry
Weiser River (25th longest) near Weiser
Boise River (26th longest) near Boise
Clearwater River (40th longest) near Orofino
Succor Creek (43rd longest) in Malheur County, Oregon

Map

Snake RiverBear RiverKootenai RiverSalmon RiverOwyhee RiverClark ForkPalouse RiverBruneau RiverSaint Joe RiverBig Wood RiverBig Lost RiverBlackfoot RiverNorth Fork Clearwater RiverLittle Wood RiverHenrys ForkSouth Fork Owyhee RiverPortneuf RiverGoose CreekSalmon Falls CreekPend Oreille RiverSpokane RiverRaft RiverMiddle Fork Salmon RiverNorth Fork Payette RiverWeiser RiverBoise RiverSouth Fork Boise RiverSelway RiverJordan CreekMalad RiverMoyie RiverSouth Fork Salmon RiverWillow CreekSalt RiverPayette RiverTeton RiverSouth Fork Payette RiverHangman RiverNorth Fork Coeur d'Alene RiverClearwater RiverDeep CreekUnion Flat CreekSuccor CreekLochsa RiverPriest RiverBattle CreekBannock CreekIndian CreekSailor CreekFall RiverCamas CreekCamas CreekSouth Fork Clearwater RiverSheep CreekSquaw CreekLittle Owyhee RiverLemhi RiverPahsimeroi RiverBeaver CreekBig Jacks CreekPotlatch RiverMarsh CreekClover CreekLogan RiverBlue CreekMiddle Fork Boise RiverLittle Salmon RiverJarbidge RiverCow CreekNorth Fork Boise RiverIdaho
Image map of all Idaho streams more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) long. Each label is wikilinked to an article. Click on the small rectangles to the right of the caption for a larger map.

See also

Notes

References

Works cited

External links