River Facts
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. Originating in
British Columbia, the river flows south into the state of Washington and then heads
west to form much of the border between Oregon and Washington.
Stretching over 1243 miles in length, the river drains parts of seven states and a Canadian province for a total area of 258,000 square miles. By volume, the Columbia is the fourth-largest river in the U.S. and has the greatest flow of any North American river draining into the Pacific.
The drop in elevation of 2,690 feet between the mountains of British Columbia and the ocean combined with its heavy flow provides enormous potential for generating electrical power. The Columbia produces more hydroelectric power than any other river in North America with 14 power-producing dams on its main stream and many more on tributaries.
Stretching over 1243 miles in length, the river drains parts of seven states and a Canadian province for a total area of 258,000 square miles. By volume, the Columbia is the fourth-largest river in the U.S. and has the greatest flow of any North American river draining into the Pacific.
The drop in elevation of 2,690 feet between the mountains of British Columbia and the ocean combined with its heavy flow provides enormous potential for generating electrical power. The Columbia produces more hydroelectric power than any other river in North America with 14 power-producing dams on its main stream and many more on tributaries.
Metrics
| Source: | British Columbia |
| Elevation: | 2,690 feet (820 m) |
| Length: | 1,243 miles (2,00 km) |
| Basin: | 258,000 sq miles (668.00 sq km) |
| Average Flow: | 265,000 cu ft/s (7,50 cu m/s) |
| Max Flow: | 1,240,000 cu ft/s (35,100 cu m/s) |
| Channel Depth: | 43 feet (12-13 m) Astoria to Portland |
| Number of dams: | 14 dams (on main stem) |
Major Tributaries
| Snake River | 56,900 cu ft/s (1,610 cu m/s) |
| Willamette River | 37,400 cu ft/s (1,060 cu m/s) |
| Kootenay River (Kootenai) | 30,650 cu ft/s (868 cu m/s) |
| Pend Oreille River | 26,430 cu ft/s (748 cu m/s) |
| Cowlitz River | 9,140 cu ft/s (259 cu m/s) |
| Spokane River | 7,900 cu ft/s (224 cu m/s) |
| Lewis River | 6,125 cu ft/s (173 cu m/s) |
| Deschutes River | 5,845 cu ft/s (166 cu m/s) |
| Wenatchee River | 3,079 cu ft/s (87 cu m/s) |
| Okanogan River | 3,039 cu ft/s (86 cu m/s) |
| Kettle River | 2,925 cu ft/s (83 cu m/s) |
| Sandy River | 2,257 cu ft/s (64 cu m/s) |
| John Day River | 2,060 cu ft/s (58 cu m/s) |