A River Runs Through It

Idaho has lots of rivers that we've had the good fortune to follow: the Payette, the Salmon, the Clearwater. Fishing seems to be very popular in these parts.

I'm standing in front of the confluence of the Lochsa and Selway Rivers, which come together to form the Middle Fork of the Clearwater. Back in the 1960s a huge dam was proposed for this area which would have rendered the spot where I'm standing underwater. Luckily, Congress put the kabosh on that hare brained idea with the passage of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. (I've been told that back in the mists of time, before I was born, Congress actually did useful work.)

Thanks to the efforts of previous generations I can experience this area much as Lewis and Clark did when they passed through in 1805 and 1806.