| North Fork Owyhee River | |
| Name Etymology: | An early name for Hawaii.[1] |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Oregon#USA |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the North Fork Owyhee River in Oregon |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Oregon, Idaho |
| Subdivision Type4: | County |
| Subdivision Name4: | Malheur County, Oregon, Owyhee County, Idaho |
| Length: | 30.4miles |
| Source1: | Owyhee Mountains |
| Source1 Location: | near Indian Meadows, Idaho |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 42.6831°N -116.7903°W[2] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 6685feet[3] |
| Mouth: | Owyhee River |
| Mouth Location: | Three Forks, Oregon |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 42.5442°N -117.1694°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 3953feet |
The North Fork Owyhee River is a tributary, about 30miles long, of the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon, and Owyhee County, Idaho, in the United States. It begins on the east flank of the Owyhee Mountains in Idaho and flows generally southwest to meet the main stem at Three Forks, Oregon, 161miles above the confluence of the larger river with the Snake River.[4]
Named tributaries of the North Fork, from source to mouth, include Noon Creek, which enters from the right; Pleasant Valley Creek, left; and Juniper Creek, right, all on the Idaho side of the border. Further downstream on the Oregon side, Squaw Creek enters from the left, Cherry Creek from the right, and the Middle Fork Owyhee River from the left before the North Fork meets the main stem at Three Forks.[4]
The upper 20.8miles of the North Fork, from the upstream boundary of the North Fork Owyhee Wilderness to the Idaho–Oregon border, are part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Of this total, 15.1miles are classified as wild and the remaining 5.7miles are recreational.[5] The lower 9.6miles of the North Fork, from the Idaho–Oregon border to the main stem, is also classified as wild. It flows through a deep canyon rimmed with basalt.[6] The Bureau of Land Management oversees the land along the river in both states.[5] [6]
The BLM operates North Fork Campground, about 27miles southeast of Jordan Valley, Oregon. Amenities include seven primitive campsites, picnic tables, fire grates, and a vault toilet but no drinking water.[7]
In 2009, the United States Congress designated the wilderness, which covers about 43000acres in the Idaho portion of the North Fork watershed. It extends from the headwaters in Idaho almost to the border with Oregon. Managed by the BLM, it includes river canyons that are more than 1000feet deep as well as large expanses of plateau. The wilderness is home to sage grouse, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, rare plants, and many other species.[8] The wilderness is about 80miles southwest of Boise.[9]