The Survey 



3« Main Payette River o->- (August 1-5 > 1938; Hanavan, Parkhurst, 

 Wilding, and Morton o) The main Payette River is approximately 72 

 miles longo The discharge at the mouth is subject to great variation, 

 being dependent upon the amount of water impounded and diverted for 

 irrigation, Gaging-station records for the water-year I9UO-UI 

 (UoS.3oSo,19h2), taken at a station a short distance above the mouth, 

 show discharges ranging from a maximxm of 9,700 c,f,3, in May and 

 June to a minimum of U69 CofoS, in August, The stream is available 

 to migratory fish for a distance of about Ul miles above the moutho 

 The average water temperature in this section at the time of the 

 survey was 7UtiO F, Such high water temperatures during late summer 

 render the available portion of the stream of little value to saLmon. 



The Black £anyon Dam was constructed in 1923 by the U.S. 

 Bureau of Reclamation as a power and irrigation project. This dam 

 is 96 feet high, and is a total barrier to raigratoiy fish. There 

 were no fish-protective devices at the time of the survey, but the 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has since screened the irrigation 

 diversion. The power diversion remains \mscreened. The U.S, Fish 

 and Wildlife Service has reported that it would be possible to con- 

 struct some tjrpe of fishway over the dam, but only at a high cost - 

 probably more than $200,000, 



There were eleven irrigation diversions and one power 

 diversion in operation on the main Payette, None of these were 

 screened at the time of the smrvey. Eight diversions were of large 

 size. 



Sewage is discharged into the stream at the town of Payette 

 near the mouth, and at Bnmett, about 32 miles above the mouth. Saw- 

 mill waste also enters at Bnmett, The lower portion of the stream 

 bed is heavily silted in many places. 



The main Payette formerly supported a good run of chinook 

 salmon and provided a passageway for a good run of blueback salnon. 

 It is of no value to migratory fish at present, 



3Ao Little Willow Creek , — (Not surveyed,) Little Willow 

 Creek enters the Payette River approximately 9 miles above ihe 

 mouth. It is a small, intermittent stream about 23 miles long. 

 The Paddock Valley reservoir is located about 18 miles above the 

 mouth » the stream is of no value to salmon, 



3B, Willow Creek ♦— (Not surveyed,) Willow Creek enters the 

 Payette River through several ditches approximately 13 miles above 

 the moutho The stream is about 23 miles long. Because of its agri- 

 cultural use Willow Creek is of no value to salmon. 



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