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The Cabinet Gorge dam is just upstream and
supplies power to the area. Also upstream is the
Cabinet Gorge fish hatchery. The land on the
right side of this photograph is some of the
areas most fertile farmland. Clark Fork is
located approximately 25 miles east of
Sandpoint, and is the first town you find after
crossing into Idaho from Montana on Hwy 200.
Situated on the banks of the historic Clark Fork
River, its origins date back to the late 1800's
when the Northern Pacific Railway constructed a
siding adjacent to the river. The Clark Fork
River has been a source of commerce and
recreation for decades. Clark Fork was named in
honor of William Clark who along with Meriwether
Lewis headed the expedition to the west in 1804.
It is believed the Lewis and Clark party
encountered the present day Clark Fork River
near Missoula, in October of 1805.
Today nestled in the shadows of the Cabinet
Mountain Wilderness Area, Clark Fork still
retains many vestiges of the old American West.
Hunting and fishing opportunities abound in the
Clark Fork valley. The Clark Fork River is a
major spawning tributary used by Rainbow,
Cutthroat, Mackinaw and the endangered Bull
Trout to access pristine mountain streams to
spawn. |
