Snake River Wild and Scenic River Study, Wyoming

Authors(s): US Forest Service

Publication:

Publisher: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

Publication Date: 0000-00-00

Type:

Location: Washington DC

Abstract: Incusion of a portion of a 50-mile stretch of the Snake River, from the southern boundary of the Grand Teton National Park to Palisades Reservoir, in Wyoming is proposed. The preferred action would involve amendment of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to include the lower 25.5 river miles within the national system; this portion of the river would be divided into 12.5 miles of recreational river and 13 miles of scenic river. The 12.5-mile corridor encompasses 8,160 acres of land. The values of the remaining 24.5 miles, which would be protected by state and county action, would be included in the national system if the state were to enact a State Wild and Scenic Rivers act. This section of the river would include 10 miles of scenic river and 14.5 miles of recreational river. Actions to be taken to preserve the scenic and recreational values of the 24.5 miles of river not to be included immediately in the national system would include purchase of scenic easements, donation of scenic easements to the county by land owners, county land use restrictions, state stream and riparian lands management and protective legislation, and/or designation of the river segmetn as a special area for protection within the proposed Jackson Hole scenic area. Cost of purchase of scenic easements on the portion of the river to be included within the national system is estimated at $5.0 million. Annual administration of the river corridor would cost an estimated $75,000. Land use constraints would maintain existing western ranching uses along the river corridor and provide habitat for the famous elk, deer, and moose populations of the area, as well as for other habitat such as the bald eagle. Scenic and recreational values within the river corridor would be preserved and enhanced. The potential to construct water storage and/or hydroelectric projects along the designated sections would be left undeveloped as long as the special designations were maintained. Maintenance of river values within the undesignated reach of the river would depend on action taken by the state and county. Under the existing situation, a level of development could occur that might adversely affect wildlife, scenic, and fishery values. Private land development opportunities would be limited along critical viewing and important wildlife areas within the immediate river environment of the designated section. Easements would have to be purchased on approximately 16,00 acres of private land. Public law 93-621 and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (16 USC 1271 et Seq). For the abstract of the draft environmental impact statement, see 79-0412D, Volume 3, Number 4

Keywords: Grand Teton National Park, aquatic sciences, recreation, vegetation, Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, water, plants, wild & scenic river, animal, mammal, fish, river, stream, hot springs, fishery, raptor, hot spring, bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, elk, Cervidae, wapiti, Cervus elaphus, deer, Cervidae, ungulate, Snake River, Idaho, Palisades Reservoir, Jackson Hole, Teton County, moose, Alces alces, management