Pack River facts for kids

This article is for the river in Idaho, United States. For the river in British Columbia, Canada, see Pack River (British Columbia).

The Pack River is a medium-sized river in Northern Idaho. It's about 40 miles (64 km) long. The river starts in the Rocky Mountains and Selkirk Mountains. It flows into Lake Pend Oreille. The Pack River is part of the larger Columbia River system.

River's Journey: Where the Pack River Flows

The Pack River begins high up in the Selkirk Mountains. It flows south towards Lake Pend Oreille. The river's end, called its mouth, is at the northern tip of the lake.

The Pack River is the second largest river that flows into Lake Pend Oreille. The Clark Fork River is the biggest river flowing into the lake.

Pack River's Watershed: The Land It Drains

A watershed is all the land where water drains into a specific river. The Pack River watershed covers about 185,600 acres (751 km²). The land in this area ranges from 2,050 feet (625 m) at the lake to 7,550 feet (2,301 m) high in the mountains.

The upper part of the watershed is mostly covered by forests. The U.S. Forest Service manages these forest lands. The lower part of the watershed has a mix of public and private land. People use this land for many different things.

Water Flow and Weather in the Basin

The Pack River basin gets about 35.8 inches (909 mm) of rain and snow each year. Most of this falls as snow in the mountains during winter.

The river's average flow is about 344 cubic feet per second. This is like 344 basketballs of water flowing by every second. The river flows fastest in May and slowest in September. Sometimes, heavy rain on snow in winter can cause the river to rise quickly.

Tributaries: Streams Joining the Pack River

The Pack River has about 34 smaller streams that flow into it. These smaller streams are called tributaries.

Grouse Creek is the largest tributary. Other important streams include Rapid Lightning Creek, Jeru Creek, and Hellroaring Creek. These streams, along with the West Branch of the Pack River, help make the Pack River its size.

Geology: How the Land Was Formed

The rocks under the Pack River watershed are mostly granite. This type of rock breaks down into very fine, sandy soil.

Long ago, glaciers moved through the Pack River valley. These huge ice sheets created ice dams. When the ice melted, it left behind large piles of rocky material called glacial till. Fine sand also settled in the dammed water, creating sandy areas. Today, these sandy areas are found on mountain slopes and can easily erode, or wear away.

Protecting the River's Banks

Because the soil can erode easily, it's important to manage how land is used. Things like building roads, cutting down trees, grazing animals, farming, and building homes must be done carefully. If plants along the riverbanks are removed, the soil can wash into the river. This can make the water muddy and harm the river environment.

Ecology: Animals of the Pack River

The Pack River watershed is home to many amazing animals. Some of these species are protected by the Endangered Species Act.

Fish and Other Water Animals

Bull trout are a threatened species that live here. They hatch in the upper river and then swim all the way to Lake Pend Oreille to grow big. Some can grow up to 30 inches long! Then, they return to the upper river to lay their own eggs.

Other fish found here include westslope cutthroat and brook trout, and kokanee salmon. You might also see river otters, mink, muskrats, and beavers.

Land Animals and Birds

The watershed is also home to many land animals. These include the endangered woodland caribou and grey wolf. Threatened species like the grizzly bear, Canada lynx, and bald eagle also live here.

Other special Idaho wildlife species found in this area include the wolverine, fisher, northern goshawk, and the white-winged crossbill. You can also find white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, elk, black bears, mountain lions, and mountain goats. Many types of hawks, owls, songbirds, and waterfowl also live or visit here.

Pack River Flats Wildlife Management Area

Near the mouth of the river is the Pack River Flats Wildlife Management Area. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game manages this area. It's about 9 miles (14 km) east of Sandpoint.

This area is a great place for wildlife. Canada geese build their nests in the marsh. Geese, swans, and ducks gather here during their spring and fall migrations. People can visit this area to watch wildlife, hunt, and fish. The Pack River Flats is very important for moose, deer, elk, and waterfowl. Eagles also come here in the winter to find food.

Recreation: Fun on the Pack River

The Pack River offers many fun activities for people to enjoy. You can go fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and floating on the river. To protect the river and keep everyone safe, motorized boats are not allowed above the Highway 200 bridge.

In the wider watershed area, you can go hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, and rock climbing. It's also a wonderful place for wildlife viewing.

The Pack River Watershed Council was started in 2001. This group works to help restore and protect the river.