The Portneuf River was given its name sometime over 200 years ago by French Canadian voyageurs working for the Montreal-based fur trading North West Company. Despite being named around 1821, Idaho's Portnuef River is hardly known outside its watershed. Consequently, there are relatively few people who are watching The Portneuf's Big Adventure for Spring 2023. The Portneuf is already progged to poke its nose into flood stage but it could go even higher. Will it or won't it? And when? Aye, those are the questions a Water Watcher asks. As a result of the Portneuf's Possibilities, we're already planning an early May Road Trip into Portneuf Country. Graphics and photos have captions.
The red outline shows The Portneuf River's location in Southeastern Idaho. There's a lot of history dripping through that little river's watershed. Source: https://portneufwatershed.org/
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the Portneuf and its little known neighbors have The Best snowpack in the entire state. Source: https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/id_swepctnormal_update.pdf
Here's a clip from an April 27, 2023, graphic published by NWS Pocatello on their Facebook page.
Folks, that's a LOT of water in the snowpack!
Here's a closer look at the Portneuf watershed. The far upper tippy top lies in the Shoshone-Bannack Reservation. The far lower part is drained by the Portneuf's major tributary--Marsh Creek. Interestingly, both Marsh Creek and the main Portneuf are remnants of the epic Bonneville Flood Channel. Source: https://portneufwatershed.org/
This graphic gives you a general layout of Marsh Creek (lower circle & line) and the main Portneuf (upper circle and line). The snowpack remaining in the two circled areas is eye popping!
This is representative of the late April snowpack in Marsh Creek. Amazing!
And this is representative of the snowpack in the far Upper Portneuf. Equally amazing!
The Portneuf has a long, LONG history of flooding places white people like to live and work. This is a 1910 photo of the Pocatello warehouse district. Source: https://www.idahostatejournal.com/yesteryear/1911-flood-in-pocatello/article_b194fa85-c5b2-5864-bcc0-9298df1402e5.html
A really big Portneuf flood hammered Pocatello in 1962. The Poky People had enough. They called in the big guns from the US Army Corps of Engineers and channelized the Portneuf through the city.
Source: https://portneufwatershed.org/
Source: https://portneufwatershed.org/
Even though the Portneuf has been spayed, neutered and downright trivialized through Pocatello, it has enough creed to fight back once in awhile. Could this be one of those years when the USACOE channel might not contain the Portneuf? Ah, we shall see. The Northwest River Forecast Center's flow forecast doesn't really go far enough in the future to account for meltage of all the snowpack that's sitting in the upper watersheds of The Portneuf and Marsh Creek. Source: https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/rfc/
https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?gage=pihi1&wfo=pih
The NWS also produces flow forecasts but they deal mostly with the "here and now" and don't look too far into the future.
The NWS also produces flow forecasts but they deal mostly with the "here and now" and don't look too far into the future.
There's lots and LOTS to see and do in the Portneuf. The main attraction for us two Geezers is Lava Hot Springs located in, well...Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Believe it or not, the Hot Springs are a subdivision of Idaho State Government. Really. We've been going there for 19 years and it's an incredibly delightful experience. All day Geezer admission is only $7.50 each.
See: https://lavahotsprings.org/
See: https://lavahotsprings.org/
See: https://bristolcabins.org/
The Oregon Trail had a lot of offshoots and branches in the vicinity of the Portneuf River drainage.
The Portneuf runs right smack dab through Lava Hot Springs. I kinda doubt that the river will threaten anything in Lava Hot Springs but "ya just never know".
Yep. People who started a wild journey on the Missouri River at Independence found their way to the Portneuf River and Lava Hot Springs. People have been coming to that hot spot for 1,000's of years.
See: https://www.nps.gov/oreg/planyourvisit/maps.htm
It's a very unique area and we are looking forward to an extended visit. Lava Hot Springs is located between those two hills. Source: https://portneufwatershed.org/
One other little known attraction of the Upper Portneuf is Chesterfield, Idaho. It's a ghost town but a very popular ghost town. It's located about as far up the Portneuf as you can get without going onto The Rez. http://www.historicchesterfield.org/
Great informative blog post from a true river lover
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