Bruneau River
Bruneau River
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Bruneau River

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Bruneau River

The Bruneau River is a 153-mile-long (246 km) tributary of the Snake River in the western United States, located in Idaho and Nevada. It runs through a narrow canyon cut into ancient lava flows in southwestern Idaho. The Bruneau Canyon, which is up to 1,200 feet (370 m) deep and forty miles (65 km) long, features rapids and hot springs, making it a popular whitewater trip.

The Bruneau River's drainage basin is bounded by the Jarbidge Mountains to the southeast, the Owyhee Mountains and Chalk Hills to the west, and the Bruneau Plateau to the east.

The Bruneau River system originates within and near the Jarbidge and Mountain City Ranger Districts of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest in northern Elko County. The three main streams are the East Fork Bruneau River, the West Fork Bruneau River, and the Jarbidge River, all of which flow generally north. The Jarbidge River joins the West Fork, then the East and West Forks join to form the mainstem Bruneau River. Sheep Creek and Jacks Creek join from the west, and Clover Creek joins from the east. Most of the watershed is characterized by high plateaus through which the Bruneau and its tributaries cut deep, sheer canyons, especially along the middle Bruneau River and the lower reaches of the Jarbidge River, Sheep Creek, and the East Fork Bruneau.

The Bruneau River emerges from the plateau and canyon region 16 miles (26 km) upstream from its mouth at the Snake River's C. J. Strike Reservoir. At this point, the river enters the broad and fertile Snake River Plain. This lower section of the watershed is occupied by farms and ranches, and the town of Bruneau.

The Bruneau River is used for irrigation purposes near the Snake River. Irrigation withdrawals result in a number of its tributary streams being largely dewatered annually.

The Bruneau River region was historically occupied by the Northern Shoshone, Northern Paiute, and Bannock tribes

The Bruneau River was given its name sometime before 1821 by French Canadian Pierre Bruneau (1796–1873) voyageurs working for the Montreal-based fur trading North West Company. The name is derived from the French meaning "dark water".

Bruneau jasper, a semi-precious gemstone, was discovered near the bottom of the Bruneau River canyon walls and named after the river.

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