Columbia River drainage basin
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]
Usage of the term "Columbia Basin" in
Kettle and Similkameen Rivers
.
Description
The Columbia Basin includes the southeastern portion of 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
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]
Washington region
Residents of the area surrounding the confluence of the
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
- Inland Northwest
References
- ^ 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 March 22, 2005.
- ^ "The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark" (Columbia Plateau - Columbia River Basin - Columbia River Flood Basalts - Summary). Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ISBN 0-295-97485-0.
- ^ O'Keefe, Eric (January 15, 2021). "Bill Gates is about to change the way America farms". Successful Farming. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
External links
- Geology of Washington - Columbia Basin, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
| National | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
