Autumn in Wyoming by David Whited

Autumn in Wyoming

David Whited

Autumn in Wyoming

Digital photography

Inv: LP-1622

The Snake River is a major waterway in the northwestern United States, stretching approximately 1,078 miles (1,735 km) as the largest tributary of the Columbia River. It originates in western Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park, flows through Jackson Hole and the Snake River Plain in Idaho, forms part of the border between Idaho and Oregon (carving the dramatic Hells Canyon, North America's deepest river gorge), and continues through Washington before joining the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities. Along its course, it powers agriculture through extensive irrigation in Idaho's fertile plain, drops over the iconic Shoshone Falls, and is dammed at multiple points for hydroelectric power and navigation. The river holds major ecological and cultural significance, historically supporting large runs of salmon and steelhead, though these populations have declined sharply due to dam construction, making the Snake River central to ongoing debates over dam removal, fish conservation, and tribal fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest.