The 425-mile Salmon River is one of the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states. The river begins at not much more than a trickle at an elevation of about 8,000 feet in the Sawtooth and Whitecloud Mountains of central Idaho. It gathers force as it makes its way northeast and then west, fed by snows from the Sawtooth and Salmon River Mountains in the south and the Clearwater and Bitterroot Mountains in the north.
A Field Guide to Plants of the Boise Foothills. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Lower Salmon River
https://www.blm.gov/visit/lower-salmon-river
The 425-mile Salmon River is one of the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states. The river begins at not much more than a trickle at an elevation of about 8,000 feet in the Sawtooth and Whitecloud Mountains of central Idaho. It gathers force as it makes its way northeast and then west, fed by snows from the Sawtooth and Salmon River Mountains in the south and the Clearwater and Bitterroot Mountains in the north.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
COTTONWOOD FIELD OFFICE
IDAHO
THE LOWER SALMON RIVER
BOATING GUIDE: VINEGAR CREEK TO HELLER BAR
Cover illustration, Adam Ridley BLM
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
COTTONWOOD FIELD OFFICE
IDAHO
THE LOWER SALMON RIVER
BOATING GUIDE: VINEGAR CREEK TO HELLER BAR
Bureau of Land Management
Cottonwood Field Office
2 Butte Drive
Cottonwood, Idaho
83522
208-962-3245
THE LOWER SALMON RIVER
The Nez Perce Indians have occupied this area for millennia. They call this river “Tamaánma”, which translates to
“something laying near the side of the river.” Early explorers dubbed it the “River of No Return” due to the difficulties
they experienced trying to transport wooden boats upstream through roaring rapids. Whatever it is called, the
dynamic Salmon River and the land it nourishes are very special.
The 425-mile waterway is the longest completely free flowing river in the lower 48 states and one of the few in the
nation that contains no dams. The river begins as not much more than a trickle at an elevation of about 8,000 feet in
the Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains of central Idaho. It gathers force as it makes its way northeast and then
west, fed by snows from the Sawtooth and Salmon River Mountains in the south and the Clearwater and Bitterroot
Mountains in the north.
About 150 miles further on its westward course, the Salmon River has created the second deepest canyon in North
America, which effectively splits Idaho in half. The section known as the Lower Salmon River begins at Vinegar
Creek, 26 miles upstream from the town of Riggins. At Riggins, the river swings north and then west for 86 miles
where it meets the Snake River in Hells Canyon. The Snake River continues to flow into the Columbia River and
eventually into the Pacific Ocean. The drainage area of the Salmon River, which lies entirely within Idaho’s borders,
encompasses approximately 13,550 square miles.
The river and its canyon are truly remarkable. The numerous – and unusual – white sand beaches are a reminder
that this river is still free flowing. Respect the river, listen to it, learn from it, cooperate with it, and care for it.
Bureau of Land Management
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INFORMATION .............1
REQUIREMENTS AND LAWS .............4
SAFETY .............7
RIVER ETIQUETTE .............8
AFTER YOUR TRIP .............9
CONSERVATION EASEMENTS .............10
SNOWHOLE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA .............11
WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS .............11
MAP INDEX .............12
MAP LEGEND .............13
MAP EXAMPLE .............14
RIVER MAPS .............15-75
HUMAN HISTORY .............36
GEOLOGY .............61
WILDLIFE .............76
PLANT LIFE .............80
129
C L E A R WAT E R
NEZ PERCE
Asotin
11
7
Sn
e R iv
ak
!
·
7
12
Clarkston
Lewiston
er
L 62E W I S
12
Rd
.
62
64
WA S H I N G T O N
162
Heller Bar
Cottonwood
Sa
lm
on
R iv
13
er
Grangeville
95
Pine Bar
14
IDAHO
Hammer
Creek
Whitebird
Gravel Pit
White Bird
Pealy
Campbell Flats
Slate Creek
Twin Bridges
Pittsburgh Landing
Long Gulch
Maynard Hole
OREGON
Gospel-Hump
Lucile
Old Lucile
Wilderness
Carey
Creek
r
Lightning
Creek
e R
ive
City of
Riggins
Sn
ak
Riggins Shorts
Bar
!
·
Spring Bar
Island
Bar
Salmon R
Hells Canyon
Wilderness
!
·
Boat Launches
SCAT Machine
Nez Perce Trail
Bureau of Land Managment
Nez Perce Tribe
Private
Idaho Dept. of Lands
ADAMS
Idaho Fish & Game
VA L L E Y
US Forest Service
USFS Wilderness
Access Sites
0 2 4 6 8 10 Kilometers
0
2
4
6
8
10 Miles
New Meadows
55
Vinegar
Creek
iver
INFORMATION
HOW TO USE THIS BOATER’S GUIDE
This guide includes maps and information about the Salmon River from Vinegar Creek to the confluence with the
Snake River and the Snake River from the Salmon / Snake confluence to Heller Bar below the Snake and Grande
Ronde River confluence.
This guide is intended to illustrate where beaches are located along with highlighting public and private land. The
beaches will change in size, shape, and slope from year to year but the areas where sand is deposited is consistent.
The beach Latitude and Longitude GPS coordinates are displayed in Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds (DMS). The
images of the beaches were taken at flows between 3,400-8,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) on the Salmon River
and at 9,000 cfs on the Snake River. The aerial photographs were taken at flows between 3,310-5,000 cfs on the Salmon
River and 11,500 cfs on the Snake River. At higher flows, some beaches will be submerged under water and lower
flows may expose more beaches/campsites. The river mile markers on the Salmon River represent the number of
miles to the confluence with the Snake River. The river mile markers on the Snake River represent the number of
miles to the confluence with the Columbia River.
RIVER SECTIONS
The Lower Salmon is the last 112 miles of the Salmon River and is a pool-and-drop river, with the more difficult
rapids i
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management | Idaho
Rare Plants of Idaho
Front cover: Astragalus amnis-amissi, flowers, Lynn Kinter (IDNHP)
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management | Idaho
Rare Plants of Idaho
Idaho State Office
1387 S. Vinnell Way
Boise, ID 83709
Written by
Michael Mancuso, Anne Halford and Karen Colson
March 21, 2019
Copies available from the BLM Idaho State Office
BLM DISTRICT AND FIELD OFFICES IN IDAHO
SCALE:
0
50
100
miles
LEGEND
DISTRICT BOUNDARY
DISTRICT OFFICE LOCATION
with colocated field office
Coeur d'Alene
Field Office
Field Office Boundary
Field Office Location
Washington
Public Land: BLM-Administered
NORTH
COEUR D’ALENE DISTRICT
Cottonwood
Field Office
M
on
ta
na
Salmon
Field Office
Challis
Field Office
IDAHO FALLS DISTRICT
Upper Snake Field Office
BOISE DISTRICT
Owyhee
Field Office
ii
Shoshone
Field Office
TWIN FALLS DISTRICT
Bruneau
Field Office
Nevada
Wyoming
Oregon
Four Rivers
Field Office
Jarbidge
Field Office
Pocatello
Field Office
Burley
Field Office
Utah
CONTENTS
1
INTRODUCTION
Idaho Distribution Maps
Taxonomy
Conservation Category and Rank Definitions
Glossary of Acronyms Used in the Field Guide
5
BLM DISTRICT AND FIELD OFFICE SPECIES GUIDE
9
13
17
21
25
31
35
41
45
49
53
57
63
69
73
77
81
85
89
93
99
105
109
115
119
123
SPECIAL STATUS PLANT SPECIES
Abronia mellifera var. pahoveorum
Allium aaseae
Astragalus ambyltropis
Astragalus amnis-ammissi
Astragalus anserinus
Astragalus aquilonius
Astragalus asotinensis
Astragalus atratus var. inceptus
Astragalus jejunus var. jejunus
Astragalus mulfordiae
Astragalus oniciformis
Astragalus packardiae
Astragalus sterilis
Calamagrostis tweedyi
Carex aboriginum
Carex idahoa
Castilleja christii
Chaenactis cusickii
Eriogonum capistratum var. welshii
Howellia aquatilis
Lepidium papilliferum
Mentzelia mollis
Mirabilis macfarlanei
Monardella angustifolia
Oenothera psammophila
Oxytropis besseyi var. salmonensis
iii
127
137
141
145
151
157
163
167
Phacelia inconspicua
Pinus albicaulis
Polemonium elusum
Silene spaldingii
Spiranthes diluvialis
Stanleya confertiflora
Thelypodium repandum
Trifolium owyheense
170
180
182
ASSOCIATED SPECIES LIST
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND REFERENCES
ILLUSTRATIONS
iv
INTRODUCTION
Idaho Bureau of Land Management (BLM) staff need information
about Special Status Plant Species to assist with field surveys, setting
data collection priorities, making conservation management decisions,
and assessing conservation actions. To meet this need, the Idaho BLM
State Office has initiated a project to produce an on-line field guide
to Idaho BLM Special Status Plant Species. The purpose of this webbased field guide is to help users recognize and identify Special Status
Plant Species in the field. The first installment includes 35 Special Status
Plant Species. Additional taxa are planned for the future. The guide
provides one-stop access to general description, field identification
tips, and similar-looking species summaries, as well as basic taxonomic,
conservation status, distribution, habitat, and phenology information.
The field guide also includes an Idaho distribution map and color
images for each species.
The field guide is intended to assist agency, academic, consultant, and
other biologists charged with conducting field surveys or other
conservation-related work for Special Status Plant Species in Idaho.
The field guide can also serve members of the public and citizen
scientists interested in learning more about Idaho BLM Special Status
Plants Species. The guide’s digital, on-line format allows for ready
down-loading of hard copies that can be taken into the field or shared
with colleagues. Making the guide available in a digital format will
enable the species account information to reach a wider audience and
be available more quickly compared to print media. The digital format
also makes it easier to add more species accounts in the future and to
update information about the species already in the guide in a more
timely and inexpensive manner.
Idaho Distribution Maps
Idaho distribution maps in the field guide are based on Element
Occurrence locations for each species in the Idaho Fish and Wildlife
Information System database (Idaho Department Fish and Game
2018). Distributions are mapped at the Township scale; each Township
depicted on the map contains one or more Element Occurrence
locations. Occupied Townships are shaded red on the distribution
maps.
1
Taxonomy
Scientific plant names in the field guide follows the Flora of the Pacific
Northwest, 2nd Edition (Hitchcock and Cronquist 2018). Nomenclature
for species not included in this book follows the Intermountain Flora
(Cronquist et al. 1972, Cronquist et al. 1977, Cronquist et al. 1984,
Cronquist 1994, Barneby 1989, Cronquist et al. 1997, Holmgren et al.
2005, Holmgren et al. 2012).
Conservation Category and Rank Definitions
The field guide includes BLM conservation category and NatureSe
U.S. Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Native Garden Guide
for Southwestern Idaho
NATIVE GARDENS FOR IDAHO PARTNERSHIP
Boise School District
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
City of Boise
College of Western Idaho
Garden City Garden Club
Golden Eagle Audubon Society
Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Mancuso Botanical Services
Steppe Environmental
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
West Ada School District
WRITTEN BY
Holly Hovis, BLM
Kristin Lohr, USFWS
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Anne Halford, BLM
Chris Taylor, Boise School District
Dave Hopper, USFWS
Dusty Perkins, College of Western Idaho
Judy Snow, Garden City Garden Club
Karen Colson, USFWS
Kristin Gnojewski, City of Boise, Parks and Recreation
Lynell Sutter, Steppe Environmental
Micah Lauer, West Ada School Distsrict
Michael Mancuso, Mancuso Botanical Services
Sean Finn, Golden Eagle Audubon Society
DESIGN
Antonia Hedrick, BLM
AUGUST 2019
U.S. Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Native Garden Guide
for Southwestern Idaho
IDAHO STATE OFFICE
1387 S. Vinnell Way
Boise, ID 83709
208-373-4000
Blank Page or
good place for Photo
Monarch on showy milkweed, A. Hedrick
Table of Contents
Native Garden Guide
1
INTRODUCTION
2
SECTION A
How to Get Started
Forming a Team
5
SECTION B
Funding and Grants
7
SECTION C
Garden Design
Design Tips
Native Gardens in Southwest Idaho
Public Perception
Bird Habitat Garden
Pollinator Habitat Garden
Monarch Garden
Sensory Garden
Outreach
39
SECTION D
Implementation
Calculations
Site Preparation
Material Resources
47
SECTION E
Maintenance
Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Plan Example
52
SECTION F
Master Plant List
back cover
RESOURCES
Sage International Charter School Garden
Introduction
Welcome to the Native Garden Guide for Southwestern Idaho. This guide was created to help
novice gardeners create waterwise, wildlifefriendly gardens using plants suitable for
southwest Idaho. The information in this guide
will assist backyard gardeners, urban planners,
schools, and businesses transform their
landscapes into native gardens. All plants listed
in this guide are native to Idaho or to adjacent
states with the same growing conditions.
The purpose of this guide is to:
• provide steps for developing and maintaining
native gardens
• provide examples of garden designs
• provide lists of locally adapted native plants
• aid in conserving water and attracting birds
and pollinators
• identify partners, local resources and funding
opportunities
Why Native Plants?
Urban gardens can provide important habitat
for animals such as birds and native
pollinators (bees, butterflies, moths,
hummingbirds). These gardens can be used
for nesting, foraging, shelter, and as stopovers
during spring and fall migration. Native
plants are adapted to the growing conditions
in our area, thus requiring less water than
introduced plants. They also support more
insects, including native pollinators, than
nonnative plants. This means more habitat
for native bees and more food for insecteating birds! Who needs a bird feeder when
you have a native garden?
Arrowleaf balsamroot, A. Hedrick
1
Section A
How to Get Your Garden Started
Some basic steps will help you in creating your garden. Your garden planning time will depend on the
size of your garden and the number of interested individuals. A backyard garden can be easily planned
and implemented within a few months. A community garden that serves many people may take up to
one year of planning prior to installation.
Basic Steps for a School or Community Garden
1. Form a team
2. Solicit input from staff, partners, or community
3. Create design
4. Present design to person approving garden
5. Develop schedule and coordinate with contractors
or maintenance staff
6. Write grant proposals
7. Raise funds
8. After funding is awarded, refine plant list based
on availability and order plants
9. Clear site of existing vegetation
10. Install hardscaping such as boulders and seating
11. Add topsoil if needed
12. Install irrigation
13. Plant
14. Protect plantings with temporary fencing
15. Install interpretive signs
16. Develop and implement garden maintenance plan
Go team!
Basic Steps for a Home Garden
1. Decide what your garden priorities are (water savings, pollinators, monarch butterflies, birds etc.).
2. Decide how much time you have to spend on a garden (little time = fewer plants that require less work).
3. Choose a design from this guide and adapt it to your space or create your own from the provided plant lists.
4. Figure out the cost of the garden. If you lack the funds, look for fall sales, grow plants from seed, or
look for plant donations from fellow gardeners.
5. Clear the area to be planted.
6. Add compost and topsoil, if needed.
7. Install irrigation, if needed.
8. Plant.
9. Keep a planting plan. It helps with maintenance.
10. Mark your plants so you can tell the difference between what you p
A Field Guide to Plants
of the Boise Foothills
i
ii
Acknowledgements
This field guide evolved through discussions of its
need and usefulness with members of the Healthy
Hills Initiative. It quickly developed into a group
effort. Special thanks go to the following entities:
Ada Soil and Water Conservation District
www.AdaSWCD.org
Healthy Hills Initiative
www.HealthyHills.org
Southwest Idaho Resource Conservation and
Development Council
www.IdahoRCD.org
Boise State University
www.BoiseState.edu
Bureau of Land Management: Idaho State Office
www.blm.gov/id/st/en.html
Cover and title page photo generously donated by
Michael Lanza, The Big Outside.
www.TheBigOutside.com
The authors of this field guide would like
to thank the following people for kindly
offering their professional advice: Nancy Cole,
Antonia Hedrick, Scott Koberg, Bill Moore,
Nancy Shaw, Roger Rosentreter, and Brett
VanPaepeghem.
Thanks to following people who contributed
outstanding plant photographs: Matt Fisk, Matt
Lavin, Ian Robertson, and Clinton Shock.
iii
A Field Guide
to Plants of the
Boise Foothills
Jamie Utz
Michael Pellant
Jessica Gardetto
Edited by Corey Gucker
First edition, 2013
iv
Contents
Introduction to the foothills ............. 6 - 9
How to use this field guide ….………..… 10
Key to symbols ……………...……………….… 11
Plant profiles …………....…………..… 12 - 159
Shrubs/Trees …….………….… 12 - 23
Forbs ……….………………….… 24 - 121
Grasses ……………………….. 122 - 159
Glossary …………………….………….. 160 - 162
References ……………….………...…. 163 - 164
Index ......................................... 165 - 169
by common name........... 165 - 167
by scientific name........... 168 - 169
5
Introduction to the
Boise Foothills
Location
The foothills north of Boise, Garden City, and
Eagle make a beautiful backdrop for the urban
areas below. This ecosystem provides city residents
unparalleled recreational opportunities, serves as
important wildlife habitat, provides clean water to
residents, and supports the local economy. The
foothills are also home to a wide variety of plants
that have important ecological and economic roles.
Native plants have naturally evolved with and
adapted to the local foothills climate and soils.
Nonnative plants are species that were introduced
(accidentally or purposefully) to the foothills
ecosystem. Both types of plants are important to
understanding and appreciating the foothills. This
guide provides the user with a tool to identify some
of the more common native and nonnative plants
found in the lower portion of the Boise Foothills
(Figure 1).
55
21
16
44
20
26
84
Figure 1. The blue line on the map above indicates a general
boundary that was used to select the plants featured in this field
guide.
6
Environment
Vegetation in the foothills is a product of the soils,
slope, aspect, elevation, and the local climate. Soils
are important because their texture, depth, nutrients,
and other characteristics govern the types of plants
found in this ecosystem. Additionally, aspect (i.e. the
direction the slope of a hill faces), elevation, and
precipitation are all factors that influence the presence
and proportions of foothills plants. Disturbances such
as wildfires and off-road vehicle or off-trail use can
negatively affect this environment by reducing native
plants and encouraging the entry or increase of
nonnative invasive plants.
Native Plants
Plants native to the foothills evolved to withstand hot
and dry summers, cold winters, periodic droughts,
and infrequent wildfires. A healthy native foothills
plant community is dominated by big sagebrush and
bitterbrush with a diverse understory of grasses,
forbs (wildflowers), lichens, and mosses (Figure 2).
Foothills plant communities also contain several
rare native plants, which are sparsely distributed
and adapted to unique habitats.
Figure 2. A healthy foothills plant community is a diverse mixture
of shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Healthy native plant communities
are resilient to natural disturbances and provide good watershed
protection and wildlife habitat.
7
Nonnative Plants
Most of the nonnative plants found in the Boise
Foothills are of European or Asian origin. Some
nonnative plants have desirable characteristics
and were purposefully planted to meet land
management objectives. However, other undesirable
nonnative invasive plants have spread accidentally
into the foothills, causing ecological and economic
damage. These invasive plants compete with native
plants for space, water, and nutrients. Several
invasive grasses, exemplified by cheatgrass (Figure
3), increase the frequency and size of wildfires in
the foothills, threatening homes and intact native
plant communities. The negative impacts of some
invasive plants are so severe that they are assigned
the classification of noxious weed. A noxious weed
is designated by the state of Idaho as any plant
having the potential to cause injury to public health,
livestock, crops, or other land or property.
Figure 3. This photo shows cheatgra
