The Duck Valley Reservation was established in 1877 and
enlarged in 1886. The reservation is located on the Idaho-Nevada
border with approximately half of the land area in each state.
The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes have retained all of the 289,820 acre
land area as Tribal Trust land governored by the Tribal Council.
The Owyhee River enters the southeast corner of the
reservation in Nevada and exits in Idaho to the northwest,
flowing into Oregon where it meets the Snake River. The central
portion of the reservation from the northern to the southern
boundaries is a lowland valley, with a sloping elevation of 5200
feet. On either side of the valley are rimrock plateaus and
mountain ranges with elevations reaching nearly 9000 feet.
Agriculture is the economic mainstay of the reservation. Short
growing seasons affect production ability on the approximately 87,000
acres that are suitable for farming and irrigation. The majority
of the land serves as grazing land for the cattle and horses
raised by members of the Tribes.
Recreation and tourism industries are being developed to help
diverisify the economy. There are two major fisheries on the
reservation: Sheep Creek and Mountain View Reservoirs. The
addition of a third reservoir, Billy Shaw, has been recently
constructed. There is a tremendous diversity of waterfowl and
shorebirds that are attracted to the lakes and surrounding
wetlands in the spring. Camping facilities are being improved to
attract a greater number of visitors to these lakes for fishing,
hiking, bird watching, and relaxation.
Return to the Top of this page, or
back to the Southwest Idaho RC&:D Area
page.
Last updated: 03-04-02