The Columbia River pours more water into the Pacific Ocean than any other river in North or South America. In its 1,270 miles (2,040 km) course to the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia flows through four mountain ranges—the Rockies, Selkirks, Cascades, and coastal mountains—and drains 258,000 square miles (668,000 km2). The mainstem of the Columbia rises in Columbia Lake on the west slope of the Rocky Mountain Range in Canada. Its largest tributary, the Snake, travels 1,038 miles (1,670 km) from its source in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming before joining the Columbia. When Lewis and Clark explored the region in the early 19th century, huge numbers of fish (salmon) returned to spawn every year. "The multitudes of this fish are almost inconceivable," Clark wrote in the autumn of 1805. At that time, the Columbia and its tributaries provided 12,935 miles (20,817 km) of pristine river habitat.[2]
Common usageedit
Residents of the area surrounding the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers—a region centering on the Tri-Cities, Washington metropolitan area—use the term "Columbia Basin" to refer to their own, much smaller region. This usage is roughly synonymous with the Columbia Plateau or roughly equivalent to the relatively unforested area bounded by the Cascades, Blue, Wallowa, and Rocky mountain ranges and the Okanagan Highland. This sense of the term Columbia Basin has expanded from its early focus on the land irrigated by Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Project to include other irrigation districts such as the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys.[3] The area includes valuable farmland that has excellent soil profile and underlying silty loess.[4] At its center is the Pasco Basin, an area roughly double the size of, and fully containing, the Hanford Site.[1]
^ abcFloyd, Ben; et al. (1998). . Hanford Reach Protection and Management Program Interim Action Plan. Prosser, Washington: Benton County Planning Department. Archived from the original on 2005-03-22.
^ This article incorporates public domain material from CVO website - Columbia Plateau. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
^Meinig, D.W. (1995) [1968]. The Great Columbia Plain (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Classic ed.). University of Washington Press. pp. 4, 482. ISBN0-295-97485-0.
^O'Keefe, Eric (2021-01-15). "Bill Gates is about to change the way America farms". Successful Farming. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
External linksedit
, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
columbia, river, drainage, basin, drainage, basin, columbia, river, pacific, northwest, region, north, america, covers, common, usage, term, often, refers, smaller, area, generally, portion, drainage, basin, that, lies, within, eastern, washington, columbia, b. The Columbia River drainage basin is the drainage basin of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest region of North America It covers 668 000 km2 or 258 000 sq mi 1 In common usage the term often refers to a smaller area generally the portion of the drainage basin that lies within eastern Washington 1 The Columbia BasinUsage of the term Columbia Basin in British Columbia generally refers only to the immediate basins of the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers and excludes that of the Okanagan Kettle and Similkameen Rivers Contents 1 Description 2 Common usage 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDescription editThe Columbia Basin includes the southeastern portion of the Canadian province of British Columbia most of the U S states of Idaho Oregon and Washington the western part of Montana and very small portions of Nevada Utah and Wyoming The south and southeastern drainage divide borders the interior drainage of the northern Great Basin To the northeast the region borders the basins of the Saskatchewan River Hudson Bay and the MacKenzie River Beaufort Sea and to the northwest the basin of the Fraser River The Columbia Basin extends from the Rocky Mountains in the east through the Cascade Range to the Columbia River s outflow at the Pacific Ocean in the west The Columbia River pours more water into the Pacific Ocean than any other river in North or South America In its 1 270 miles 2 040 km course to the Pacific Ocean the Columbia flows through four mountain ranges the Rockies Selkirks Cascades and coastal mountains and drains 258 000 square miles 668 000 km2 The mainstem of the Columbia rises in Columbia Lake on the west slope of the Rocky Mountain Range in Canada Its largest tributary the Snake travels 1 038 miles 1 670 km from its source in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming before joining the Columbia When Lewis and Clark explored the region in the early 19th century huge numbers of fish salmon returned to spawn every year The multitudes of this fish are almost inconceivable Clark wrote in the autumn of 1805 At that time the Columbia and its tributaries provided 12 935 miles 20 817 km of pristine river habitat 2 Common usage editResidents of the area surrounding the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers a region centering on the Tri Cities Washington metropolitan area use the term Columbia Basin to refer to their own much smaller region This usage is roughly synonymous with the Columbia Plateau or roughly equivalent to the relatively unforested area bounded by the Cascades Blue Wallowa and Rocky mountain ranges and the Okanagan Highland This sense of the term Columbia Basin has expanded from its early focus on the land irrigated by Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Project to include other irrigation districts such as the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys 3 The area includes valuable farmland that has excellent soil profile and underlying silty loess 4 At its center is the Pasco Basin an area roughly double the size of and fully containing the Hanford Site 1 See also editInland Northwest Columbia Basin ProjectReferences edit a b c Floyd Ben et al 1998 Glossary Hanford Reach Protection and Management Program Interim Action Plan Prosser Washington Benton County Planning Department Archived from the original on 2005 03 22 nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from CVO website Columbia Plateau United States Geological Survey Retrieved 2009 11 16 Meinig D W 1995 1968 The Great Columbia Plain Weyerhaeuser Environmental Classic ed University of Washington Press pp 4 482 ISBN 0 295 97485 0 O Keefe Eric 2021 01 15 Bill Gates is about to change the way America farms Successful Farming Retrieved 2021 01 19 External links editGeology of Washington Columbia Basin Washington State Department of Natural Resources46 N 116 W 46 N 116 W 46 116 http www basininstitute org home index html Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Columbia River drainage basin amp oldid 1119354253, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
