The Columbia River

The Columbia River is a great river by all metrics of comparison. It is second only to the Mississippi River in length and volume of flow. The Columbia is notable for the velocity of its flow. It drains nearly 260 thousand square miles of watershed. It starts at an elevation of 2600 feet above sea level and continues down to sea level.

The Columbia rises in Canada and takes a course north before turning south and entering the United States. It continues south a short distance before the Spokane River joins it. At that point the Columbia turns and flow west into the vicinity of the Grand Coulee. In the western United States and Canada the term coulee refers to a deep ravine scooped out by heavy floods but is dry in the summer. From there it flows south and turns west where forms the boundary between Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific.

(To be continued.)