The stretch of the 400 mile Owyhee River known as the Lower Owyhee begins at Rome, Oregon, and ends in the backwaters of the Owyhee reservoir. In those 65 miles, you will see stark desert vistas, strangely sculpted pinnacles, wondrously layered rock formations and 16 million year old pink rhyolite canyons.

You will also experience several Class 3+ rapids - Whistling Bird and Montgomery - and visit Indian petroglyphs, old cabins and hot springs. The peak flows for the Owyhee River usually occur in April. In a typical year, rafters float the river in April or May; by summer the Owyhee is reduced to a trickle.

A good rafting flow for the Owyhee is around 3,000 cfs. In March of 1993, snow melt and rains produced a record flow of 55,700 cfs!

For more information on the Lower Owyhee, contact the Bureau of Land Management, Vale District, 100 Oregon Street, Vale, Oregon, 97918; or call 541-473-3144.

Peter Palmer on the Lower Owyhee River

An Artist's Perspective: Jane S. Erickson