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