Introduction 



The Payette River joins the SnaUce River approximately 357 miles 

 above the Columbia River conf lueaoe. Its drainage area comprises 

 approximately 3500 square miles of west-oeutral Idaho, and includes 

 a portion of the western slope of the Sawtooth Mountains, The total 

 stream length of the entire river system, including all streams large 

 enough to accommodate salmon, is approximately 400 miles. There are 

 three lakes in the headwaters. The largest of these is Payette Lake, 

 and the others are known as Upper Payette lAke and Little Payette 

 lAke, 



The Payette River System was formerly a very important and valu- 

 able area for natural salmon reproduction. Large runs of ohinook 

 salmon utilized the spawning area in the main stream as well as in 

 the principal tributaries. However, its most valuable asset was the 

 large amount of spawning and rearing area provided by the lakes in 

 its headwaters for the large runs of bluebaok salmon that the system 

 formerly supported. The early day importance of this area for 

 bluebaok salmon was pointed out hy Kvenaann (1396, 1897). 



The bluebaok runs In this system were exterminated many years 

 ago and the ohinook runs have somewhat more recently met the same 

 fate. The depletion of the salmon runs in the Payette began at an 

 early date. Old residents agree that at least 35 years ago a former 

 diversion daju located a few miles below Horseshoe Bend prevented 

 salmon from passing upstream above that point, thus blocking the 

 entire run of bluebacks from the headwater lakes and confining the 

 ohinook run to the main stream below the d«uiu For the ensuing 15 

 years the chief ohinook spawning areas were located near Montour 

 and the mouth of Squaw Creek. 'SThen the Black Canyon Dam was built 

 these spawning areas were rendered inaccessible. The dam at Horse- 

 shoe Bend was later removed. A steadily diminishing congregation 

 of Chinook salmon has been reported to have occurred at the Black 

 Canyon Power Plant in former years, but no salmon have beai reported 

 at this point since 1937, when only two were seen, 



A short time before the outbreak of World War II the U. S, 

 Bureau of Reclamatioai started the construction of a dam on the 

 north fork of the Payette River at Cascade, Idaho, for the purpose 

 of water storage in connection with the Boise Project. Work at 

 this point was discontinued for the duration of the war, but the 

 project has since been completed. No fish passage facilities 

 were provided. 



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