Tolo Lake, a shallow lake covering about 35 acres, is the largest natural water body on the Camas Prairie. It is a natural lake that has been enhanced to provide habitat for fish and waterfowl. The lake, 6 miles west of Grangeville, Idaho, is accessible via several unpaved section roads from U.S. Highway 95. The Nez Perce name for Tolo Lake is Tepahlewam (Split Rocks). The lake, which is just east of Rocky Canyon, is an ancient rendezvous site the Nez Perce used for gathering foods such as camas root and for meeting with neighboring bands. Rocky Canyon was part of a transportation network in the area, connecting with the Salmon River and Snake River drainages. Take Highway 95 south out of Grangeville, Idaho, tothe second road to the right past the Grangeville Country Club.

Several nontreaty bands gathered here on June 2, 1877, in preparation for moving to the Nez Perce reservation. Angered by the forced move, several young Nez Perce decided to take revenge on some white men who had killed some of their people. As a result of this action and a second raid two days later, the 1877 Nez Perce War began. There is no interpretation at the site, but more than half of the interpretive sign for Camas Prairie is occupied by discussion of Tolo Lake's connection to the beginning of the war.

Significant remains of Pleistocene mammoth and prehistoric bison were excavated from the lake in 1994. To date, there has been no evidence of direct association of ancient humans with these remains. After the excavation was completed, the lake was allowed to return to its normal size.

Although wheat fields have replaced the camas meadows, Tolo Lake and its vicinity remain otherwise largely unencumbered by development. The sweeping perspectives across the high prairies retain a clear sense of the historic and prehistoric landscape.

The site is owned by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and is surrounded by privately owned agricultural land. The National Park Service has a cooperative agreement with Idaho Department of Fish and Game to work cooperatively to include Nez Perce interpretation as part of any site planning and development activities. The manager of the White Bird Unit also has worked with the state and with citizens regarding the interpretation of the paleontological finds.

MANAGEMENT ISSUES

• No interpretation is offered at this site.

• The site has significant connections to the 1877 war, but also to the Nez Perce continuum.

• There are concerns about local traffic.

ACTION PLAN

• Interpretive materials and waysides will be developed to include a full range of events and resources, including camas prairie and canyon transportation corridor.

• The Park Service will offer technical assistance to interested local groups.

• The Park Service will promote preservation of a wider area of prairie and canyon.

• The Park Service will support traditional uses by the Nez Perce people and cooperate with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and others to prevent encroachment on the site and retain the status quo for site development.

• The cooperative agreement with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will be retained.