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Fisher River headwaters o mouth 



Lower Kootenai River Fisher River to Idaho border 



Yaak River headwaters to mouth 



Natural conditions may contribute to water quality degradation, particularly 

 when aggravated by si Ivi cultural activities. Slope and soil conditions 

 are the primary limiting factors in the Kootenai River drainage. 



Soils developed on glacial till and glaciofluvial deposits occur in the 

 narrow valleys. These soils are used primarily for timber production 

 and present a severe erosion hazard when mismanage . Glaciolacustrine 

 material and shallow soils on steep slopes also present severe erosion 

 hazards (DHES, 1974). 



1. Upper Kootenai River Drainage 



Between the Canadian border and the mouth of the Fisher River (approxi- 

 mately 45 miles), there are numerous small tributary drainages. All 

 drainages but Sullivan Creek (A-Closed) are classed as B-Dj streams (DHES), 

 and constitute a segment of drainage basin 76D (DNR&C). Most of this 

 area is under USFS ownership, but private and other ownerships exist in 

 some drainages. Intermingled ownership (USFS and private) occurs west 

 of Lake Koocanusa near the Canadian border, in the Pinkham Creek drainage, 

 and along the main stem of the Kootenai River for approximately 15 miles 

 north of the Fisher River tributary. In areas of mixed ownership, there 

 have been some coordinated road building programs that provide access for 

 both private and USFS timber harvests; however, further coordination of 

 forestry activities has been limited. Due to this historical lack of 

 coordination between land managers, these areas must be identified as 

 potential problems for water quality impacts from silvicultural activities. 



