Sources of the Mighty Columbia

Columbia Lake, British Columbia, source of the Columbia River    © Diane B. Reed

© Diane B. Reed

The Columbia River, which forms the western boundary of Walla Walla County, is an impressive waterway by the time the Walla Walla River spills into it at Wallula Gap.  The river is born at Columbia Lake near Canal Flats, British Columbia and wanders through that province for many miles before it becomes the river we know and love. The lake that is considered the primary source of the river is nestled against the Rocky Mountains, fed by glacial runoff and springs. At Canal Flats (named for a thwarted attempt to link the Columbia and the Kootenay Rivers), a 1.2 mile glacial berm separates the two rivers.  From there the Columbia runs north for several hundred miles before turning south, and the Kootenay River heads south, dipping into the US before turning back north into Canada and joining the Columbia at Castlegar BC.

Columbia River wetlands near Spillimacheen BC © Diane B. Reed

The north flowing section of the Columbia River Valley from Columbia Lake to Mica Creek includes some of the most important wetlands and diverse wildlife along the upper reaches of the river. It's often difficult to find the main channel of the river amongst the sloughs and marshes.

Ferry, Upper Arrow Lake BC                         © Diane B. Reed

Finally, the river bends south, where it flows through Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes, framed by the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Although the lakes were natural lakes, their levels were raised in 1968 by construction of the Keenleyside Dam near Castlegar.

SS Moyie at Kaslo BC on Kootenay Lake                 © Diane B. Reed

In the meantime, the Kootenay River is making its way north from the US until it flows into Kootenay Lake, nestled between the Selkirk Mountains to the west and the Purcell Mountains to the east. This mountain-rimmed lake was an important transportation route for towns like Nelson and Kaslo BC. The SS Moyie in Kaslo is the world's oldest intact passenger sternwheeler, now hauled out on a crib and open to the public.

After long and convoluted journeys from Canal Flats, the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers finally meet at Castlegar and head our way.