Editor Stacey H. Stovall, Conservation Innovations, Inc. Subbasin Team Leader

Major Land Uses

Ownership and Land Use Patterns

Forest and range related uses are the principle land uses on federally managed public land within the subbasins. Private lands in forest related land uses are extensive, however, in the Boise-Mores Creek, Lower Boise River, North Fork Payette River, mainstem Payette River, and Weiser River watersheds. Rangeland related uses occur primarily on private lands in the North Fork Payette River and Weiser River watersheds and prominently on private lands in the Boise-Mores Creek, Lower Boise River, mainstem Payette River, and South Fork Payette River watersheds (Table 5).

The development of road systems on the public and private lands of the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins provides the transportation network that facilitates logging, mining, livestock grazing, other land management activities, and supports recreational access for the public. It is well documented that fish and wildlife habitat quality and availability are affected by the number and location of roads and the manner in which they are constructed and maintained (EPA et al. 1975). Sediments are produced from forestlands by surface erosion, mass soil movement, and channel erosion. Logging road activities may influence all of these and accelerate the surface erosion and mass soil movement (EPA et al. 1975). Unfortunately, when most road prisms were pioneered in these subbasins, little care or attention was given to potential environmental effects.

Road densities in portions of the subbasins are high. Historical mining within the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins has significantly affected fish and wildlife habitats, especially in the Boise-Mores Creek, North and Middle Fork Boise River, and South Fork Boise River watersheds. Dredge mining (commercial bucket) occurred on many sections of the Middle Fork Boise River, South Fork Boise River, and North Fork Boise River. Much of the floodplains in these areas have been overturned and remain as tall piles of cobbles, and dredge pools. Bucket dredge mining has not been performed in the last several decades and will probably never again occur in Idaho. Lode and other forms of placer mining have also occurred. On affected rivers there are typically few remaining areas of older river terrace.

The largest mining district currently within the subbasins is the Atlanta District. The Atlanta Lode consisted largely of quartz with arsenopyrite and gold, a common association, with pyrite. Arsenopyrite is an iron-arsenic-sulfide. Other old mines in the subbasin include an antimony mine near Swanholm Peak. There are also small gold and silver-base metal mines up Black Warrior Creek, Little Queens River, and several other tributaries. Commercial mining is still viable in these areas; the Atlanta Lode is the most likely to be re-activated.

Protected Areas

A diverse range of protected areas is present within the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins. These specially designated areas include vast roadless areas, relatively small ecological reference areas, wild and scenic rivers, national recreation areas, and fishing and hunting access areas. The IDFG Idaho Conservation Data Center maintains detailed information on these conservation sites and specially managed areas.

The Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins encompass 40 USFS roadless areas (Table 6). These occur on the upper slopes and ridgecrests of the Boise Mountains, Salmon River Mountain, West Side Mountains, and Cuddy Mountains. One BLM wilderness study area, ID-110-91A, is located in the North Fork Payette River watershed.

Table 6. Summary of USFS inventoried roadless areas within the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins. Roadless areas are listed with X’s indicating their distribution within subbasin watersheds.

Roadless Area Name	Boise-Mores	Lower Boise	Middle Fork Payette	North Fork Payette	North and Middle Fork Boise	Payette	South Fork Boise	South Fork Payette	Weiser
06-9X5 Hanson Lakes								X
Bald Mtn.			X					X
Bear Wallow			X
Bernard								X
Blackhorse Creek							X
Breadwinner	X				X
Buttercup Mountain							X
Cathedral Rocks							X
Council Mountain									X
Cow Creek	X						X
Cuddy Mountain									X
Danskin		X					X
Deadwood								X
Elk Ridge							X
French Creek				X
Grand Mtn.					X
Grimes Pass	X							X
Hanson Lakes								X
Hawley Mtn.	X					X		X
House Mtn.							X
Liberal Mountain							X
Lime Creek							X
Lost Man Creek					X		X
Mt. Heinen	X
Needles				X
Peace Rock			X	X				X
Poison Creek				X					X
Rainbow					X		X
Rapid River									X
Red Mtn.								X
Secesh				X
Sheep Creek	X				X		X
Smokey Mountains					X		X
Snowbank				X		X			X
Steel Mtn.					X		X
Stony Meadows			X	X
Ten Mile					X			X
Whiskey Jack					X		X
Whitehawk Mtn								X
Wilson Peak	X

Twenty-six relatively small, highly protected ecological reference areas are present within the subbasins. These include USFS Research Natural Areas and Special Interest Areas, BLM Management Research Natural Areas and Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, and The Nature Conservancy preserves. Research Natural Areas provide pristine, high quality, representative examples of the important ecosystems within the subbasins. These sites combine with the large tracts of undeveloped land within the subbasins to provide excellent opportunities for research regarding physical and biological ecosystem processes. Jankovsky-Jones et al. (1999) provide a guide to the wetland and riparian values of conservation sites within the subbasins. Rust (2000) provides an assessment of the representation of ecological components and identifies targets for selection of new conservation sites within the subbasins. The USFS Research Natural Areas and BLM Research Natural Areas and Areas of Critical Environmental Concern management guidelines are identified by site-specific establishment documents and decision notices.

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