Bruneau Arm of C.J. Strike Reservoir

Photo Details
Date: February 16th, 2009
Time: 3:38 PM
Where? A Bluff/Butte above the Bruneau Arm
Photographer: Tim Bondy

This picture was taken on a cool windswept February afternoon from a bluff above the Bruneau Arm portion of the C.J. Strike Reservoir. The picture is looking west-northwest towards the Owyhee Mountains. Clouds had been moving in from the south all day as a weak Pacific storm tried to decide if it wanted to drop some rain/snow on us. As you can see, the Bruneau Valley has just some patchy snow cover but the Owyhee Mountains seemed to have a pretty good winter coat on them.

Interesting Bruneau River Facts: (Taken from "This Paper")
The Bruneau Arm of C.J. Strike Reservoir floods the bottom six miles of the Bruneau River.

There are approximately 3,995 miles of streams and rivers in the Bruneau subbasin. Of this total, 986 miles are perennial and 3,009 miles are intermittent. In addition, there are an estimated forty-seven miles of canals and ditches. Most perennial streams originate in the mountains of Nevada. Most small, low elevation mountain streams become intermittent during summer months due to evaporation, seepage, irrigation withdrawals and loss of bank storage. Coldwater and geothermal springs, seeps, and groundwater discharge supplement surface flows in tributary and mainstem reaches of the Bruneau River. The majority of geothermal springs occur in the lower subbasin.

Major tributaries in the subbasin include the East and West Forks of the Bruneau River, the East and West Forks of the Jarbidge River, Sheep Creek, Mary’s Creek and Little Jacks and Big Jacks Creeks. These tributaries are perennial and support resident salmonid populations. The Jarbidge River is the largest tributary to the Bruneau River, contributing approximately 66% of the combined flow at its confluence with the West Fork Bruneau River.