Duck Valley American Indian Reservation

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. back to area map