Columbia River, largest river flowing into the Pacific Ocean from North America. Many more dams were finished later, but they were smaller. The dams are listed in the order as they are found from source to terminus. Reduced flows also harm the health of the Columbia River estuary by shrinking the size of the river’s freshwater plume— an area that hosts a variety of fish and bird species and accommodates the salmon’s gradual adjustment to living in saltwater. However, the Columbia River System has more than four-hundred dams for hydroelectricity and such. To reach the visitor center, take Exit 87 from Interstate 84 and head north on Highway 197, or head south on Hwy. According to conservative estimates, the Columbia River Basin, both above and below Bonneville Dam, once produced between 10 and 16 million salmon annually. Tributaries of the Columbia River and their dammed tributaries, as well as the main stem itself, each have their own list below. Fast Facts: The Columbia-Snake River Hydropower System Northwest hydropower is the region’s largest source of carbon-free, renewable electricity Nearly 60% of the energy produced in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana is generated by hydropower dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers (Energy Information Administration). Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) Hydro Projects, BPA, includes information for Willamette, Rogue, Yakima, Upper Snake, and Upper Columbia river basin projects Definitions; Fish Management Office, USACE Northwestern Division, includes Columbia River Basin - Dams and Salmon and Columbia River Fish Mitigation Because the Columbia River’s flow varies so widely, the river is subject to severe floods. Irrigation from the waters of the Columbia system makes agriculture possible in many areas of the largely desert basin. 197 from Wash. Hwy. The Columbia River dams are no exception. These storage dams capture the spring snow runoff for release later in the year, thereby lessening the seasonal fluctuations from waterflow. Many of the dams in the Columbia River watershed were not created for the specific purposes of water storage or flood protection. • Flood control. There are 14 dams on the mainstem Columbia from Mica to Bonneville, and five on the lower Snake from Hells Canyon Dam to Ice Harbor Dam. This facility converts alternating current from Columbia River dams to direct current for long distance transmission to California. The Colorado River/Colorado River Basin has more than twenty major dams in the river system. Including just the dams listed below, there are 60 dams in the watershed, with 14 on the Columbia, 20 on the Snake , seven on the Kootenay , seven on the Pend Oreille / Clark , two on the Flathead , eight on the Yakima … Eight obsolete dams have been removed or modified on the Rogue River over the past decade. Uses of the River System There are nine primary uses of the Columbia River system. 14. This is a list of bridges and other crossings of the Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean … The river system is one of the most heavily developed in the world, with fifteen dams on the … dams on Columbia Basin rivers have a maximum B. Map of the Columbia River basin with dams highlighted. The Columbia River runs from the southeast corner of British Columbia through Washington and Oregon states to the Pacific Ocean. Home Page > Washington State Maps > Map of the Columbia River basin with dams highlighted. The Dalles Dam impounds Lake Celilo, a 24-mile-long reservoir.