| Idaho is a state in the Pacific | | | | mills on the Pend Oreille River. |
| Northwest of the United States. The | | | | National concern over conservation of |
| state's capital and largest city is | | | | natural resources led to the Forest |
| Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." | | | | Reserve Act of 1891, under which the |
| Idaho was admitted to the Union on July | | | | Priest River Forest Reserve was |
| 3, 1890, as the 43rd state. | | | | established in 1897. This forest reserve |
| According to the United States Census | | | | subsequently evolved into the Kaniksu |
| Bureau, in 2004, Idaho had an estimated | | | | National Forest - which has been |
| population of 1,393,262. The state's | | | | recently incorporated into the Idaho |
| postal abbreviation is ID. Idaho is | | | | Panhandle National Forests system. Most |
| nicknamed the Gem State because of its | | | | of the area on the east side of Priest |
| abundance of natural resources. The | | | | Lake was gradually consolidated into |
| state motto is Esto Perpetua (Latin for | | | | State of Idaho lands beginning after |
| "Let it be perpetual"). | | | | Idaho's entry into statehood in 1890. In |
| Southern Idaho, including the Boise | | | | 1950 these state lands to the east of |
| metropolitan area, Idaho Falls, | | | | Priest Lake were designated as Priest |
| Pocatello, and Twin Falls are in the | | | | Lake State Forest. Later, in the 1980s, |
| Mountain Time Zone. Areas north of the | | | | the State executed land exchanges with |
| Salmon River, including Coeur d'Alene, | | | | private companies that added nearly |
| Moscow, and Lewiston, are in the Pacific | | | | 13,000 acres (53 km2) to the state |
| Time Zone. | | | | forest and resulted in its present |
| Idaho borders Washington, Oregon, | | | | boundaries. |
| Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and the | | | | Tourism |
| Canadian province of British Columbia | | | | Today the lake's biggest draw is |
| (the Idaho-BC border is 48 miles (77 km) | | | | tourism. There are several large private |
| long). The landscape is rugged with some | | | | resorts on the lake including Kaniksu, |
| of the largest unspoiled natural areas | | | | Hills, and Elkins Resort. Popular camp |
| in the country. It is a Rocky Mountain | | | | grounds include Indian Creek, Lionhead, |
| state with exciting scenery and enormous | | | | Beaver Creek, and Luby Bay, which are |
| natural resources. The state has | | | | all located in and run by the Idaho |
| towering, snow-capped mountain ranges, | | | | Panhandle National Forest Service. In |
| swirling white rapids, peaceful lakes | | | | the winter time the larger resorts cater |
| and steep canyons. The churning waters | | | | to cross country skiing, snowshoeing, |
| of Snake River rush through Hells | | | | and snowmobiling. |
| Canyon, which is deeper than the Grand | | | | Weather |
| Canyon. Shoshone Falls plunges down | | | | Both the summer and winter activities at |
| rugged cliffs from a height greater than | | | | the lake are made possible by a truly |
| that of Niagara Falls. | | | | four season climate. Summers are |
| The major rivers in Idaho are the Snake | | | | generally warm and sunny with high |
| River, the Clearwater River and the | | | | temperatures around 85 degrees |
| Salmon River. Other significant rivers | | | | Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius). Winters |
| include the Boise River and the Payette | | | | are cold and snowy, and although not as |
| River. | | | | cold as east of the Rocky Mountains the |
| Idaho's highest point (12,662 feet) is | | | | area does get much more snow. Sixty |
| Borah Peak in the Lost River Mountains | | | | inches (1.5 m) precipitation falls in |
| north of Mackay. Idaho's lowest point is | | | | the mountains around the lake each year |
| in Lewiston, where the Clearwater River | | | | with almost half of that coming in the |
| joins the Snake River and continues into | | | | form of snow. |
| Washington. | | | | Lake Pend Oreille is a lake in northern |
| Priest Lake, Idaho, United States is | | | | Idaho, with an area of 148 square miles. |
| located in the northern most portion of | | | | It is 65 miles long, and 1,150 feet deep |
| the Idaho Panhandle with the northern | | | | in some regions (5th in the US). It is |
| end of the lake extending north to | | | | one of the deepest lakes in the world. |
| within 15 miles (24 km) of the Canadian | | | | Fed by Clark Fork River and drained by |
| border. The history of the lake dates | | | | the Pend Oreille River. It is surrounded |
| back almost 10,000 years to the end of | | | | by national forests and many small |
| the last ice age. After the vast | | | | towns. All but the southern tip of the |
| glaciers that covered most of the area | | | | lake is in Bonner County, the southern |
| receded and vegetation started to | | | | tip which is home to Farragut State |
| re-grow, humans started to resettle the | | | | Park, the original home of the Farragut |
| area. This is evident from historical | | | | Naval Training Station, and the home of |
| artifacts found in the area and ancient | | | | the NAVSEA's Naval Surface Warfare |
| rock art along the lake. | | | | Center Carderock Division's Acoustic |
| History | | | | Research Detachment (ARD) is in Kootenai |
| The first white settlers arrived in the | | | | County. |
| early 1800s. These early settlers were | | | | The lake is home to many species of fish |
| mainly fur trappers who quickly | | | | including: rainbow trout, lake trout, |
| established trade with the native | | | | perch, crappie, bass, whitefish and |
| Kalispel Tribe. Jesuit Priests would | | | | kamloops. The forests are known to have |
| eventually settle the lake in the 1840s | | | | various pines, such as ponderosa pine, |
| and establish a base camp at Kalispell | | | | Douglas fir, poplar and western larch. |
| Bay. One of these priests, Father | | | | Whitetail deer, squirrels, black bears, |
| Pierre-Jean DeSmet, a native Belgian who | | | | coyotes and bobcats are known to reside |
| had escaped from European persecution | | | | in these forests. Bald Eagles, osprey, |
| and became the most trusted of the white | | | | owls, hummingbirds, hawks, woodpeckers, |
| men among the Western Native Americans, | | | | ducks and the mountain bluebird are seen |
| named the lake Roothaan Lake for one of | | | | in the skies around the lake. |
| his superiors in Rome. The name would | | | | Geology |
| not stick though and in 1865 Captain | | | | History |
| John Mullan, a U.S. Army Captain who was | | | | Lake Pend Oreille was glacially formed |
| traveling through the area under orders | | | | during the ice age. It is also believed |
| to build the "Mullan Trail" from Walla | | | | that the eastern side of the lake was in |
| Walla, Washington to Fort Benton, | | | | the path of the ancient Missoula Flood. |
| Montana after the discovery of silver in | | | | The trading post Kullyspell House was |
| the central Idaho mountains along what | | | | built on Lake Pend Oreille by Finan |
| today is the route of Interstate 90, | | | | McDonald in 1809. |
| would re-name the lake Kaniksu. Kaniksu | | | | During World War II, the south end of |
| is believed to be the native word for | | | | Lake Pend Oreille was the second largest |
| “black robe” and because of the | | | | naval training ground in the United |
| Jesuit presence the lake was later named | | | | States. Built as a direct result of the |
| Priest Lake. | | | | Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the |
| Logging | | | | training station is now Farragut State |
| From the 1890s logging has played an | | | | Park. The lake is still used to test |
| important role at Priest Lake. Logs were | | | | large-scale submarine prototypes: the |
| floated down the lake and eventually to | | | | depth gives it acoustic properties |
| the outlet where they would travel down | | | | similar to the open ocean, without the |
| the Priest River until they reached the | | | | background noise of the ocean. |