Big Jacks Creek Wilderness

Geography

Elevation varies from 2808 to(-) with canyons that are as much as 655 ft deep that are covered in several varieties of sagebrush. The Creek flows north into the Bruneau River, which in turn flows into the Snake River.

Legislative history

The Big Jacks Creek Wilderness was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009. Also created in the Omnibus Land Act were five additional southwestern Idaho wilderness areas in Owyhee County, collectively known as the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness Areas:

• Bruneau–Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness - 89996 acres
• Little Jacks Creek Wilderness - 50929 acres
• North Fork Owyhee Wilderness - 43413 acres
• Owyhee River Wilderness - 267328 acres
• Pole Creek Wilderness - 12533 acres

The Act of 2009 added 517025 acres of wilderness within the state of Idaho.

Wilderness areas do not allow motorized or mechanical equipment including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.

Natural history

The Big Jacks Creek Wilderness lies within the Owyhee Desert, part of the northern Basin and Range ecoregion, although hydrologically the wilderness area is within the Snake River – Columbia River drainage. The area is home to Columbia River redband trout, mountain quail, bighorn sheep, and two species of sensitive plants. Other plants found are black sagebrush, low sagebrush, Thurber needlegrass, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, bud sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, willow, rose, currant, and sedge.

References

References

1. "Ecoregions of Idaho".
2. "Big Jacks Creek". Bureau of Land Management.
3. "Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness". Idaho Public TV.
4. "Big Jacks Creek Wilderness - General". Wilderness.net.
5. "Big Jacks Creek Wilderness - Area Management".
6. "Forestwide Standards and Guidelines". United States Forest Service.
7. "Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness Areas". Bureau of Land Management.
8. "Big Jacks Creek Wilderness, Idaho". Public Lands.
9. "Wild & Scenic Rivers". Bureau of Land Management.