Columbia is a river located in North America, in the northwestern part of the mainland. Its length is about 2 thousand kilometers. Flows through Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Food is predominantly glacial; the nature of the flow is transient. The full flow of the stream and the elevation changes provided good conditions for hydroelectric power plants. It is in these places that it is most efficient to produce electricity.
Tributaries
Colombia is a river of five colors with over 50 tributaries.
- The biggest one is Snake. Numerous dams have been built on it. The first was Grand Coulee, Rock Island. An interesting fact is that at the confluence of the Snake rivers it is much longer, this is what allows the fishing industry to be widely developed on it. Its basin area at this point exceeds the total size of the Columbia River.
- Willamentt. One of the largest tributaries. Large river in the USA: occupies 301 km. It flows, covering the territory of the entire state of Oregon, the Cascade Mountains, the Coast Range. Portland, a large city, was built at the confluence with Columbia.
Kutenay. It flows in British Columbia, Idaho and Montana. It is important as a tributary of the river. Its length is a little over 700 km. The source is located on the Beaverfoot (mountain range), then the waters make a circle, flowing through the east of Columbia, the US states, and return back to Canada. Food comes from glaciers
- Pand-Orey. The third largest tributary of the river. It flows in northern Idaho, northeast Washington, and southeast British Columbia. The length of Pand Orey is only 209 km. Originates in Montana. The total area of the river basin is 66,000 kilometers (with all possible headwaters).
Water consumption
In terms of water flow, the Columbia is the fourth largest river among all US waterways. If we take into account the runoff, then it is the absolute leader among North American water flows that flow into the Pacific Ocean. At the point where America and Canada adjoin, the water flow reaches 2700 m/s. In the century before last (1894), this figure in the area of the city of Te-Dalsa increased several thousand times - up to 35,000 m/s. Already in the 20th century (1968), water consumption was significantly reduced - 340 m/s.
Fish migration
Given where Columbia is located, the river is rich in fish rising from the ocean. There are many representatives of marine species, such as salmon (mikizha, chinook, coho salmon). frequent gueststhere are also sturgeons that swim in these waters several times in their lives. After the construction of factories began in 1867, the salmon population decreased markedly. As a result, a law was passed banning net fishing.
Basically, the migration of fish is influenced by the built dams and dams, which, it is worth noting, are very rich in Colombia. Because of them, the river has a weak current in some areas. This helps to reduce the number of fry in the water stream. Previously, their journey from ocean to river took no more than three weeks, but now this figure has been at least doubled. Such temporary changes significantly increase the risk of death, leading to complete extinction. In the upper reaches of the river, certain types of fish live, which never descend into the ocean and cannot get into another part of the waters due to dams. This greatly reduces their population.
There is a certain type of fish that can live in conditions of constant heat and slow current. They mainly feed on salmon fry. This is what forced the local authorities to pass a law to encourage the catching of these representatives of the fauna.
Ecology
Colombia is a river that is quite polluted. In addition to nuclear waste, other harmful substances and compounds also enter it, in particular, arsenic, pesticides, biphenyls, and bacteria. Due to poor ecology, fish with a huge amount of toxins are found in the pool and in the river itself. This not only affects the number of aquatic animals and contributes to the extinction of species, but alsoharmful to the he alth of the person who consumes them. Now work is constantly underway to improve water quality and restore natural balance.
In terms of hydroelectric power generation, the Columbia River (its photo is presented in the article) ranks first in the USA and Canada. 14 HPPs have been built on it. It has long been known for the fact that during floods, spilling over a long distance, it floods the entire nearby territory.
The most significant changes were made by Roosevelt, President of the State. He changed the mouth, began the construction of a dam at the beginning of the 20th century. After its construction, the water level rose by more than 100 m. This made it possible to create a reservoir.
