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