Around 19,000 years ago, melting glaciers unleashed some of the biggest floods ever recorded in North America. This huge outpouring of water formed the distinctive landscape of the Columbia River area. Slowly, year-by-year, the Columbia River moved through this rugged terrain and carved out a path to the sea. Its current route runs 1,270 miles from Columbia Lake in Canada to the Pacific Ocean. It’s become a major economic engine and a beautiful natural feature that sustains towns and cities throughout the Pacific Northwest.
