The Raft River is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed May 4, 2011 tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Snake River
The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...
located in northern
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
and southern
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
in the United States. It is part of the
Columbia River Basin
The Columbia River drainage basin is the drainage basin of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It covers . In common usage, the term often refers to a smaller area, generally the portion of the drainage basin that ...
.
Course
The Raft River's headwaters are mostly on the east side of the
Albion Mountains
The Albion Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. states of Idaho (~99%) and Utah (~1%), spanning Cassia County, Idaho and barely reaching into Box Elder County, Utah. The highest point in the range is Cache Peak at , and the range is a part ...
, southeast of
Oakley, Idaho
Oakley is a city in Cassia County, Idaho, United States. The population was 763 at the 2010 census, up from 668 in 2000. . But its Clear Creek tributary also drains the north side of the
Raft River Mountains
The Raft River Mountains are a mountain range in northern Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The mountains are located in the Raft River Division of the Minidoka Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest. The highest point is Bull Mou ...
in Utah, and runoff from the nearby Grouse Creek Range also flows into the Raft River.
Portions of the
Black Pine and
Sublett mountains are also in the river's watershed. The river flows generally north to join the Snake River in
Cassia County, Idaho.
Watershed
The Raft River's
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
includes four divisions of
Sawtooth National Forest
Sawtooth National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest that covers 2,110,408 acres (854,052 ha) in the U.S. states of Idaho (~96 percent) and Utah (~4 percent). Managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the United States Depart ...
, and is approximately in area, of which approximately 95% of the overall area is in Idaho.
[Upper Snake, Headwaters, Closed Basin Subbasins Plan Plan](_blank)
Northwest Power and Conservation Council
History
The river is named for the fact
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...
pioneers would cross the river with rafts, which was often flooded as a result of
beaver dams.
The Oregon Trail crossed the Raft River approximately south of
Interstate 86. At the top of the bluff above Raft River, the "Parting of the Ways" took place. The Oregon Trail continued west, and the
California Trail
The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California. After it was established, the first half of the California Trail f ...
headed south. Graves of those who died from being mortally wounded at
Massacre Rocks
Massacre Rocks State Park is a history-focused public recreation area in the Northwest United States featuring the Massacre Rocks, a famous spot along the Oregon Trail and California Trail during the middle 19th century. The state park is located ...
can be found in the same area along the river. The
Clark Massacre of 1851 took place near the Raft River itself.
The Raft River also was a turning point for the Emigrants. They would see the Raft as a separating place.
See also
*
List of rivers of Idaho
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Idaho.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.
Pacific Ocean
*''Columbia River (WA)''
**Snake River
***Palouse ...
*
List of longest streams of Idaho
A total of seventy streams that are at least long flow through the U.S. state of Idaho. All of these streams originate in the United States except the Kootenai River (third-longest) and the Moyie River (thirty-first-longest), both of which beg ...
*
List of rivers of Utah
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Utah in the United States, sorted by drainage basin, watershed.
Colorado River
The Colorado River is a major river in the Western United States, emptying into the Gulf of California. Rivers are list ...
*
Tributaries of the Columbia River
Tributaries and sub-tributaries are hierarchically listed in order from the mouth of the Columbia River upstream. Major dams and reservoir lakes are also noted.
List of major tributaries
The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from t ...
References
External links
Rivers of Idaho
Rivers of Utah
Rivers of Cassia County, Idaho
Tributaries of the Snake River
Rivers of Box Elder County, Utah
{{Utah-river-stub