Hangman (Latah) Creek

Hangman Creek, also known as Latah Creek, straddles the Idaho-Washington state boundary with a drainage area of approximately 689 square miles in WRIA 56. The terrain in the Hangman Creek watershed varies from steep mountains to rolling loess hills to basalt scablands. Land use is approximately equally split between cropland and forest.

Upstream influences, land use changes, and stream channel and flood plain alterations over the last 100-years have contributed to "flashy" flow conditions and unstable stream banks. Summer flows as low as 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) are common, while peak flows in excess of 20,000 cfs have been recorded at the USGS stream gage. These events produce high turbid flows that can last a few hours to several weeks and occur many times within a season. Hangman Creek flows into the Spokane River immediately downstream from WRIA 57. The contribution of Hangman Creek to flows range from less than 1% to as much as 90% of Spokane River flows at Spokane.
   

There are several archeological or historical sites within the Hangman Creek watershed (e.g., campgrounds, burial sites, sweat baths, and a Mastodon fossil pit). The Coeur d'Alene and Spokane Indian Tribes used the corridor for many activities including hunting, fishing, and collecting important vegetation.

Watershed planning is being undertaken in the Hangman Creek watershed (WRIA 56), led by the Spokane County Conservation District. All optional components are being addressed (i.e., water quantity, water quality, habitat and instream flow assessment). The Planning Unit is using the resources of the Washington Department of Natural Resources for geological assessment, Eastern Washington University to assess surface water-groundwater interactions and to build a flow model, and a consultant to collect streamflow data. Similar to the Middle Spokane Watershed (WRIA 57), the Hangman watershed extends well into Idaho. For more information, please contact Walt Edelen (509-535-7274).