Discover the Wonders: Top 14 Fun Facts About the Mighty Columbia River

1. Drainage Basin Chic

Oh, la la! The Columbia River must be feeling très chic, sporting a drainage basin the size of France, offering aquatic Uber rides to fish, and powering up the region like Zeus on a Red Bull binge: This magnificent river is the largest in the Pacific Northwest, extending through seven U.S. states and one Canadian province, and it supplies over 44% of the nation's hydroelectric power. Not only that, but it has a storied history with nuclear power production – bonjour, Hanford Site plutonium!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Great Fish Marathon

Ready, set, spawn: it's the Columbia River Great Fish Marathon! These finned athletes are no joke, as between 10 and 16 million salmon and steelhead swam their way to their spawning grounds annually before the 1840s. Thanks to conservation efforts and improved ocean feeding conditions in the late 1990s, this piscine relay race is making a splash once again!
Source => nwcouncil.org

Discover the binge-worthy adventure of the Colorado River, flowing through 11 national parks and monuments across 1,450 miles, covering 8% of the US territory. Get ready to be amazed!

=> Fun Facts about The-Colorado-River

3. Gorge's Dating Profile

If the Columbia River Gorge had a dating profile, its best feature would be its great sense of humor – who else can boast about pulling off a killer combo of basalt and deformed rocks? A true gem: Formed by CRBG flood basalt deposition, deformation, and regional-scale uplift from the High Cascades, the Gorge offers breathtaking views rich in history, thanks to explorers Lewis and Clark.
Source => lewis-clark.org

4. Dam Wonderland

When life gives you dams, make a wonderland of fishing, boating, and windsurfing: The Columbia River watershed is home to over 60 dams in the United States and Canada, generating a whopping 36,000+ megawatts of power, with the Grand Coulee Dam producing over one-sixth of the basin's power, and transforming Lewiston, Idaho, into the furthest inland seaport on the west coast of the U.S. – though it's not without some fishy business, as the massive dams have contributed to declining salmonid populations.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Herculean Powerhouse

Ready to get a "shocking" power kick? The Columbia River Basin is like the Herculean powerhouse of America's electricity realm: It generates over one-third of the entire U.S. hydroelectric capacity, totaling an electrifying 29 gigawatts, and houses the Grand Coulee Dam - the largest hydroelectric power plant in the nation!
Source => eia.gov

6. Anadromous Dinner Party

If the Columbia River were hosting a dinner party, fish would be the guest of honor, and not just any fish – we're talking about the globetrotting, high-flying anadromous fish, who've surely got a whale of a tale to tell: Home to salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon, these migratory maestros have sustained native peoples for millennia and continue to boost the Pacific Northwest's economy through recreational and commercial fishing industries.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Sockeye Love Stories

Sockeye salmon must have some strong flippers for their long-distance relationships: the 2021 summer brought the highest number of sockeye salmon returning to the Columbia River since 1938, traveling up to 900 miles to central Idaho and marking the farthest south of their range.
Source => oregonlive.com

8. World's Biggest Bake Sale

When nature turned up the heat and held the world's biggest bake sale: The Columbia River Basalt Group is the result of colossal volcanic eruptions from 16.7 to 5.5 million years ago, spanning over 350 lava flows that covered more than 210,000 km2 area and eventually reached the Pacific Ocean, showcasing the prowess of nature's power oven with awe-inspiring formations like columnar basalt stacked as high as skyscrapers.
Source => usgs.gov

9. Grand Coulee Knowledge Thirst

Feeling a bit "dam" thirsty for knowledge? Let's dive into the grandest of them all: The Columbia River houses countless hydroelectric powerhouses, including the world-renowned Grand Coulee Dam – a colossal concrete titan that pumps sweet, electrifying life into millions of homes and businesses.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Hanford Reach Haven

Who needs dams when you've got the Hanford Reach, offering a splash of freedom for all you river enthusiasts out there: This undammed stretch of the Columbia River is the last of its kind, providing vital habitats for fish and wildlife, as well as a haven for fishing, boating, and hiking devotees alike.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Kiteboarding Time Travel

Before Marty McFly hopped on his hoverboard, one daring inventor strapped on water skis and colorful kites for a ride that would change the game: In 1989, Cory Roeseler pioneered the sport of kiteboarding on the Columbia River Gorge, leading to its transformation into one of the world's fastest-growing kiteboarding destinations, thanks to the region's unique wind patterns caused by pressure differences across the Cascade Mountains.
Source => columbiagorgetomthood.com

12. Shad-lemonade Takeover

When life gives you fisheries, make a shad-lemonade: American shad now make up over 90% of all upstream migrant fish recorded at Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River Basin, outshining native salmon and steelhead populations. These shad-aptations have been going strong since the fin-tastic introduction to West Coast rivers in the late 1800s.
Source => nwcouncil.org

13. Indigenous Wall Street

Before wheelin' and dealin' were all the rage on Wall Street, the Pacific Northwest had the upper hand – in a high-stakes game of trading, that is! With the mighty Columbia River as their bustling trading floor, indigenous peoples threw down their bets on some of the hottest commodities of their time: The colon-embracing celery of the whale world, the indomitable dentalium shell, and other swanky goodies were all up for grabs: Turns out the Dalles-Celilo area was the largest trading hub in western North America before European contact, where Native peoples from all corners gathered to swap, barter, and gamble their goods in a sophisticated trading network.
Source => oregonhistoryproject.org

14. Wildflower Pickup Lines

What's a wildflower's favorite pickup line? "Is it hot in this Gorge, or is it just me?" Bam: The Columbia River Gorge boasts a jaw-dropping collection of over 800 wildflower species, with 15 found exclusively in the area. Thanks to the Gorge's temperate rainforest and desert climates, unique, one-of-a-kind flora like the Columbia Gorge daisy, Hood River milk vetch, and Dalles Mountain buttercup flourish and bloom in this nature lover's paradise.
Source => usgs.gov