Columbia River

Columbia, a river in the western USA and Canada. Length 2000 km², basin area 670 thousand km². It begins in the Rocky Mountains, Lake Columbia, flows through Upper Arrow and Lower Arrow lakes, then through the narrow and deep canyons of the Columbia Peninsula, cuts through the Cascade Mountains and flows into the Pacific Ocean.
The main tributary is the Zmeiny. Flows in spring and summer. Water-rich Colombia has snow-glacier feeding and mountain rapids. Large amounts of water and significant elevation changes over a relatively short distance create favorable conditions for the creation of hydroelectric power plants. The Columbia River is considered the most electricity-producing river in North America. There are 14 hydroelectric power plants built on the Columbia River: Zone Day, Grand Coulee, Chief Joseph and others. It is navigable for 450 km from the river mouth.
The Columbia River crosses the Canadian province of British Columbia, as well as the US states of Washington and Oregon. Length 2000 km.
Europeans first descended the river in 1805-1807, members of the Lewis and Clark expedition.