Editing Sanders County, Montana (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|2790|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|2761|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|29|sqmi}} (1.1%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205145322/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt |archive-date=December 5, 2014 |access-date=November 30, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

Sanders County lies on the state's western border; thus it shares the border with [[Idaho]] to the west. It is part of the [[Coeur d'Alene Mountains]] in the [[Bitterroot Range]]. The [[Clark Fork River]] flows southeast to northwest through the middle of the county, with the Bitterroot Mountains to the south and the [[Cabinet Mountains]] to the north.

It is partially arid, with the west-facing mountain slopes capturing the most rain: ranging from nearly 40 inches a year in Heron (similar to Seattle's annual precipitation) on the Western end of the county to less than 12 inches per year in Dixon on the East end.

During the last ice age, this was the area that dammed the glacial [[Lake Missoula]]. When the ice dam broke, the resulting floods created the [[Channeled Scablands|Scablands]] in eastern [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glacial Lake Missoula |url=http://www.glaciallakemissoula.org/ |access-date=June 6, 2013 |publisher=Glacial Lake Missoula}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
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* [[Lincoln County, Montana|Lincoln County]] – north
* [[Flathead County, Montana|Flathead County]] – northeast
* [[Lake County, Montana|Lake County]] – east
* [[Missoula County, Montana|Missoula County]] – southeast
* [[Mineral County, Montana|Mineral County]] – south
* [[Shoshone County, Idaho]] – west/Pacific Time Border
* [[Bonner County, Idaho]] – northwest/Pacific Time Border
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===National protected areas===
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* [[Kaniksu National Forest]] (part)
* [[Kootenai National Forest]] (part)
* [[Lolo National Forest]] (part)
* [[Bison Range]] (part)
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===Fauna===
A variety of birds and other wildlife are found in Sanders County. The [[Tufted duck]] has been observed along the [[Bull River (Montana)|Bull River]]. An [[amphibian]], the [[Rough-skinned Newt]], has a disjunctive population at Thompson Falls which is un-contiguous with the remainder of the Western United States population of this species.<ref>C. Michael Hogan (2008) ''Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa)'', Globaltwitcher, ed. N. Stromberg {{Cite web |title=Rough-Skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa ) - - GlobalTwitcher.com |url=http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=43182 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527153302/http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=43182 |archive-date=May 27, 2009 |access-date=April 6, 2009}}</ref>

Sanders County is a "destination hunting locale" with trophy specimens of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), Shiras Moose (Alces alces Shirasi), Mountain Goat(Oreamnos americanus), and Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis Canadensis) rounding out huntable ungulate species and Black Bear, Cougar and Wolves comprising the huntable carnivores.

Rocky Mountain Bighorns are regularly hunted in the county. [[Grizzly bear]], the Montana state animal, are also found in the county, but as an endangered species, hunting them is prohibited. Montana had the last huntable population of Grizzlies in the lower 48, allowing 10 bears a year (natural deaths, poaching and other causes of death were included in that total to decide when season closed) as late as the 1990s. Only Alaska allows hunting for Grizzlies at present.

Western Meadowlark, the state bird are found sparsely in the meadow areas of Sanders County along with Redwing Blackbird and Mountain Bluebirds.

The [[westslope cutthroat trout]] (''Onchorynchus clarki lewisi'') is native to the drainages of Sanders County. The threatened native [[bull trout]] relies on westslopes as a major prey species in its piscivorous diet. Catch and release fishing is required to maintain fishable populations of the two natives, which now compete with introduced rainbow trout, and warm-water species, such as largemouth bass, yellow perch, Northern Pike, and walleyes that have been introduced and thrive in the modified habitat of the Clark Fork River's reservoirs.

===Flora===
Sanders County is part of the mountainous western third of Montana. It lies entirely on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains with a [[mixed coniferous forest]] dominating the plant community. Douglas fir/Ponderosa pine (Montana state tree) climax plant community dominate much of the county, but there are numerous other conifers found there as well in pockets of micro-climates suited to their needs. These include [[Western red cedar]], Western Hemlock, Mountain Hemlock, White Spruce, Subalpine Fir, Grand Fir, Western White Pine, Lodgepole Pine and one of the most spectacular, [[Western larch]], one of a handful of deciduous conifers that turn gold in the autumn before dropping their needles.

Numerous broadleaf species proliferate in Sanders County: [[Rocky Mountain Maple]], Red Alder, Paperbark Birch, Chokecherry, cottonwood, and poplar.

Arguably the most popular broad-leaf shrub in Sanders County is the Rocky Mountain huckleberry (''[[Vaccinium membranaceum]]''). Trout Creek, Montana 59874 is considered the "Huckleberry Capital of Montana" and holds an annual huckleberry celebration in August. Though related to the common blueberry (''[[Vaccinium corymbosum]]'') very few have managed to grow Rocky Mountain huckleberry in domestic cultivation. It is found in plant communities with beargrass (''[[Xerophyllum tenax]]''), a perennial found in burned or logged-over areas of the county's mountains.

The [[bitterroot]] (''Lewisia rediviva''), the state flower, is found in limited quantities in Sanders County.