Firehole River

The Firehole River is one of two major tributaries of the Madison River. It flows north approximately 21 miles from its source in Madison Lake on the Continental Divide to join the Gibbon River at Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park. The Firehole flows through several significant geyser basins in the park to include the Upper Geyser Basin, which contains the world-famous geyser Old Faithful. The river was named by early trappers for the steam that makes it appear to be smoking as if on fire. [cite web | title=Firehole River | work=Yellowstone National Park | url=http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/nhighlights/picpages/OFfirehole.htm | accessdate=2005-09-16 ]

The river is surrounded by geothermal features which empty water into it. One effect of the input of this water is to increase the temperature of the water. Temperatures in the river have been measured as high as 30 °C (86 °F) and average 5 to 10 °C (9 to 18 °F) higher than areas upstream of geothermal influence. [cite journal | author=Goldstein JN, Hubert WA, Woodward DF, Farag AM, Meyer JS | title=Naturalized salmonid populations occur in the presence of elevated trace element concentrations and temperatures in the Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. | journal=Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry | volume=20 | issue=10 | year=2001 | pages=2342–52 | pmid=11596769 | doi=10.1897/1551-5028(2001)020<2342:NSPOIT>2.0.CO;2 | doilabel=10.1897/1551-5028(2001)0202342:NSPOIT2.0.CO;2]

Water entering the river from geothermal features contains dissolved chemicals and minerals. Levels of boron and arsenic have been found to above the standard limits for protection of aquatic organisms. Despite these levels, rainbow trout live and spawn in these waters. [cite journal | author=Goldstein JN, Hubert WA, Woodward DF, Farag AM, Meyer JS | title=Naturalized salmonid populations occur in the presence of elevated trace element concentrations and temperatures in the Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. | journal=Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry | volume=20 | issue=10 | year=2001 | pages=2342–52 | pmid=11596769 | doi=10.1897/1551-5028(2001)020<2342:NSPOIT>2.0.CO;2 | doilabel=10.1897/1551-5028(2001)0202342:NSPOIT2.0.CO;2]

Firehole River has been a fishing mecca since the late 1800s and is known today for its excellent fly fishing. [cite web | title=Natural Highlights of the Old Faithful Area | work=Yellowstone National Park | url=http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/nhighlights/noldfait.htm | accessdate=2005-09-16 ] [cite book |last=Brooks |first=Charles E. |title=The Living River-A Fisherman's Intimate Profile of the Madison River Watershed--Its History, Ecology, Lore and Angling Opportunities |publisher=Nick Lyons Books |location=Garden City, NJ |pages=56-59 |year=1979 |isbn=0385156553 ]

The River is also home to an invasive species, the New Zealand mud snail ("Potamopyrgus antipodarum"), that is being heavily studied to determine its impact on the river's ecosystem. [cite web | title=Exotic Species | work=Yellowstone National Park Investigators' Annual Report 2001 | url=http://www.nps.gov/yell/publications/pdfs/iar2001/exotic_species.pdf | accessdate=2005-09-16 ]

Angling The Firehole

The Firehole River is a famous and storied destination for serious fly fisherman. When it was discovered in the 1830s by American explorers, the Firehole was barren of trout above what is now called Firehole Falls. Brook trout were first introduced to the upper Firehole in 1889, while brown trout, the river's most plentiful trout today, was first stocked in 1890. Rainbow trout were not introduced until 1923. Mountain whitefish are native to the Firehole below Firehole Falls. By the late 1800s, the Firehole and Yellowstone National Park in general was a popular destination for fisherman. In 1955 all stocking programs in the park were discontinued and today's Firehole trout are completely wild populations. In 1968, based on increasing pressure on the Firehole, the Gibbon and Madision rivers, the National Park Service designated these waters as Fly Fishing Only. [cite book |last=Brooks |first=Charles E. |title=The Living River-A Fisherman's Intimate Profile of the Madison River Watershed--Its History, Ecology, Lore and Angling Opportunities |publisher=Nick Lyons Books |location=Garden City, NJ |pages=56-59 |year=1979 |isbn=0385156553 ]

ections of the Firehole

Tributaries

Significant tributaries of the Firehole are the Little Firehole River, Fairy Creek, Iron Spring Creek, Sentinel Creek and Nez Perce Creek. All these tributaries bring cool waters to the Firehole and provide refuge for trout in the mainstem during mid-summer high temperatures caused by geothermal activity. [cite book |last=Mathews |first=Craig |coauthors=Molinero, Clayton |title=The Yellowstone Fly-Fishing Guide-A authoritative guide to the waters of Yellowstone National Park |publisher=The Lyons Press |location=Guilford, CT |pages=123-155 |year=1997 |isbn=155821545X ]

Trivia

In 2005, Raymond Keift published "Firehole River Murder: Yellowstone Fly-Fishing Mystery Series"--a story about a wealthy, but obnoxious businessman who was murdered on the banks of the Firehole River in Yellowstone. [cite book |last=Keift |first=Raymond |title=Firehole River Murder: Yellowstone Fly-Fishing Mystery Series |year=2005 |location=Bloomington, IN |publisher=Authorhouse |isbn=: 9781418464561 ]

References

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ee also

* Angling in Yellowstone National Park
* Fly fishing

External links

Notes