2023 Map of Little Lost River Sinks

About this map

The Little Lost River Valley serves as a stark geological transition where surface water disappears into the subterranean aquifer of the Snake River Plain. This arid landscape is defined by the Little Lost River Sinks, a terminal drainage point where the Little Lost River terminates in a series of depressions rather than flowing to the sea. The settlement of Berenice is positioned along the valley floor, surrounded by a grid of agricultural section lines and rural routes such as Howe Rd. To the northeast, the topography rises sharply into the high peaks of the Lemhi Range, contrasting the flat alluvial basin below. This map captures the hydrologic curiosity of a region where two distinct systems, including the Big Lost River to the southeast, vanish into the porous volcanic geology of Idaho's high desert.