In 1992, Western Rivers Conservancy partnered with The Trust for Public Land in protecting Lime Point, an extraordinary site at the confluence of the Grande Ronde and Snake Rivers. Lime Point is at the entrance of Hells Canyon and is heavily used by boaters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts.
In the past, the area was a major wintering site for the Nez Perce people, and numerous burial areas, campsites, pictographs, petroglyphs and fish walls are still present. In addition, Lime Point is an important site for wildlife with bald eagles, bighorn sheep, elk and deer using the area as critical winter range. Wild chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and resident rainbow trout inhabit the river and spawn along the stream banks.
Western Rivers Conservancy purchased two properties from Tippet Land & Mortgage Company and Ideal Cement Company, and conveyed a total of 1,220 acres to the Bureau of Land Management. The land is now managed as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
