Little Lost River

The Little Lost River is a river in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is approximately 49 miles (79 km) long[4] and drains an arid farming valley, the Little Lost River Valley, bordered by the Lost River Range on the west and Lemhi Range on the east. Instead of emptying into a larger body of water, it disappears into the ground at the edge of the Snake River Plain, a phenomenon that gives it its name. The water feeds into the Snake River Aquifer, eventually reaching the Snake River through a series of springs farther west.

Little Lost River
The Little Lost River Valley viewed from the west slope of the Lemhi Range
Map of the lost streams of Idaho including the Little Lost River
Location
Country	United States
State	Idaho
City	Howe
Physical characteristics
Source	Confluence of Sawmill and Summit Creeks
• location	Upper Little Lost River Valley, Butte County
• coordinates	44°11′14″N 113°16′45″W[1]
• elevation	6,100 ft (1,900 m)
Mouth	Little Lost River Sinks
• location	Near Howe, Butte County
• coordinates	43°45′52″N 112°58′22″W[1]
• elevation	4,806 ft (1,465 m)
Length	49 mi (79 km), Northwest-southeast
Basin size	963 sq mi (2,490 km^2)[2]
Discharge
• average	64.1 cu ft/s (1.82 m^3/s)[3]
• minimum	3 cu ft/s (0.085 m^3/s)
• maximum	509 cu ft/s (14.4 m^3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Sawmill Creek, Uncle Ike Creek
• right	Summit Creek, Wet Creek

Course

The river rises at the confluence of two similarly sized streams, Summit Creek and Sawmill Creek, 10 miles (16 km) north of Hawley Mountain, in the middle of the Little Lost River Valley. The river flows generally south-southeast receiving many tributaries such as Wet (the largest), Badger, Deer, Uncle Ike, Sands, Cedarville, South, and Hurst creeks. Along its course the Little Lost is used for irrigation, but the only settlement of any size is Howe, situated near the mouth. A few miles past Howe, the river disappears into the earth at about 4,806 feet (1,465 m) above sea level.

The river drains about 963 square miles (2,490 km²) of land entirely in Butte County. Its valley is about 50 miles (80 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) wide, with a floor width of 7 miles (11 km). Precipitation is generally very low and mostly in the form of snow.

Highway

The Little Lost River Highway is a north-south highway in Butte County that is 31.2 miles (50.2 km) long and roughly parallels the lower Little Lost River. The road begins in the community of Howe, at an intersection with SH-33, then runs roughly north-northwest towards the settlement of Clyde. Along the way, the highway crosses the Little Lost River twice. Three and a half miles (5.6 km) north of Clyde, the highway becomes Pahsimeroi Road.[5]

See also

• Big Lost River
• List of rivers of Idaho

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Lost River
2. "Surface Water: Little Lost River Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Loads". Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
3. "USGS Gage #13118700 on the Big Lost River below Wet Creek, near Howe, ID" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
4. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-04-05 at WebCite, accessed May 4, 2011
5. "Overview of the Little Lost River Highway". Google Maps. Google, Inc. Retrieved April 19, 2020.