Columbia River
The Columbia River is a river in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. The Columbia River is about 1,243 miles long. It is the fourth-largest river in the United States by volume. The Columbia has the greatest discharge (flow) of any North American river entering the Pacific.
Its largest tributary is the Snake River, which flows west from the state of Idaho. The lower part of the Columbia forms the border between the states Washington and Oregon. The Columbia drains 254,000 square miles (657,857 km2) of land, beginning in the Canadian Rockies and flowing west through the Cascade Range, to where it empties into the Pacific Ocean.
There are 14 dams on the Columbia River. Three are in Canada, and the other 11 are in the United States. The dams generate hydroelectricity and provide flood control and water for farms. There are also dams on the Snake River and many other tributaries. These dams have, along with their benefits, caused salmon populations in the river to go down.
Major tributaries
| Tributary | Average discharge: ft³/s (m³/s) |
|---|---|
| Snake River | 56,900 (1611) |
| Willamette River | 35,660 (1010) |
| Kootenay River (Kootenai) | 30,650 (867) |
| Pend Oreille River | 27,820 (788) |
| Cowlitz River | 9,200 (261) |
| Spokane River | 6,700 (190) |
| Deschutes River | 6,000 (170) |
| Lewis River | 4,800 (136) |
| Yakima River | 3,540 (100) |
| Wenatchee River | 3,220 (91) |
| Okanogan River | 3,050 (86) |
| Kettle River | 2,930 (83) |
| Sandy River | 2,260 (64) |
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Columbia River Media
Course of the Columbia River
The Columbia River Gorge facing east toward Beacon Rock
Bathymetric map of the mouth of the Columbia River
Drumheller Channels, part of the Channeled Scablands formed by the Missoula Floods
Panoramic view of Columbia River Gorge from Dog Mountain in Washington
Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce people
Dipnet fishing at Celilo Falls, 1941
Multnomah Falls, painted by James W. Alden, 1857
Carver's map from 1778, showing the River of the West, New Albion, Lake Winnipeg, and the Mountains of Bright Stone
Columbia River, Cascade Mountains, Oregon, (1876) by Vincent Colyer (oil on canvas). Beacon Rock is visible on the left.
