The Colville River is a 60-mile (100 km) long tributary of the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

in northeastern

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The Colville River begins in southern

Stevens County, Washington Stevens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington along the Canada–US border. At the 2020 census, its population was 46,445. As of July 2023, the population was estimated to be 48,837. The county seat and largest city is ...

at the confluence of Sheep Creek and Deer Creek. It flows northwest past Colville and into the

near

Kettle Falls Kettle Falls ( Salish: Shonitkwu, meaning "roaring or noisy waters", also Schwenetekoo translated as "Keep Sounding Water") was an ancient and important salmon fishing site on the upper reaches of the Columbia River, in what is today the U.S. s ...

. Watershed The Colville River watershed is within the

Selkirk Mountains The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains. They begin at Mic ...

between the

Pend Oreille River The Pend Oreille River ( ) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and northeastern Washington in the United States, as well as southeastern British Columbia in Canada. In its passage through British Columbia ...

and the Columbia river. This area typically has a dry climate as a result of the

Cascade Mountains The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as many of those in the ...

to the west and the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

to the north and east of the watershed. These mountain ranges act as a barrier to both wet marine air and extreme cold air coming from the north. Nearly two-thirds of the total annual precipitation occurs between October and March. On average this is about 17.2 inches per year. Typical snowfall in this region is about 48 inches. Snowfall is crucial since the Colville River discharge (volume of water per unit time) relies on a snow-melt regime. The high flow period of the river occurs due to the melting of the previous winter snowpack in the spring. This combined with spring rainfall makes April usually the highest month for discharge. Just over half of this discharge comes from three tributaries of the Colville River: Chewelah Creek, Little Pend Oreille River, and Mill Creek.Murray, Dennis; Pelletier (March 2003). "Colville River Dissolved Oxygen Total Maximum Daily Load" (PDF). ''Washington State Department of Ecology'': 1–49. History and Culture In the beginning, the Colville River was a place of abundance. The path of the Colville River was carved by Ice Age glaciers. Mile high

ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacier, glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are the Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet. Ice s ...

s coming from Canada flowed over many mountain peaks near the Colville River, leading to rounded mountain tops at lower elevations. Around 10,000 years ago the glacial ice melted, opening the way for settlement near the river. Native Americans came first around 9,000 years ago. At this time there were salmon in the river bringing Native Americans near the Colville River yearly for a first salmon ceremony. It is estimated that Native Americans caught more than 1,000 salmon a day at Kettle Falls during peak runs. By 1826, fur trappers, mostly catching beavers, moved into

Fort Colville Fort Colville was a U.S. Army post in the Washington Territory located north of current Colville, Washington. During its existence from 1859 to 1882, it was called "Harney's Depot" and "Colville Depot" during the first two years, and finally "Fo ...

. Pollution The Colville River has two main point sources of pollution. They include two water waste treatment plants (WWTP): the city of Colville and the city of Chewelah.

Ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the chemical formula, formula . A Binary compounds of hydrogen, stable binary hydride and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinctive pu ...

, a toxic substance for aquatic life, has concentrations highest downstream the Chewelah and Colville WWTP discharges. In fact, modeled concentrations at the Colville WWTP mixing zone predict concentrations of ammonia and chlorine above acute water quality standards. Besides toxicity, ammonia also is a concern for dissolved oxygen content within the water. It has been demonstrated that dissolved oxygen concentrations decrease suddenly downstream from the Chewelah and Colville WWTPs in summer months.Pelletier, Gregory (January 1997). "Pollutant Loading Capacity and Recommendations for Total Maximum Daily Loads" (PDF). ''Washington State Department of Ecology'': 1–136. One explanation is that the excess ammonia is taken up by algae causing a decrease in dissolved oxygen content, which may harm aquatic life. The risk of these effects is greatest August through October, deemed as the critical period for the Colville River when possible physical, chemical, and biological adverse effects of a pollutant are maximized. Current Projects The United States Geological Survey is currently working with the Stevens County Conservation District to create a watershed plan. This plan will address water quality, quantity, and in-stream flows pertaining to the Colville River.Colville River Basin , U.S. Geological Survey
. ''www.usgs.gov''. Retrieved 2023-11-08. In addition, The Lands Council from

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

is working to relocate beavers to the

Colville National Forest The Colville National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northeastern Washington state. It is bordered on the west by the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest and the Kaniksu National Forest to the east. The forest also borders Litt ...

. Beavers are known to slow streams, create dams and lodges for improved habitats for other animals and insects, gather silt, store and cool water. The Land Council hopes these beavers will aid the Colville River's ecosystem along with other water bodies downstream.Francovich, Eli (September 18, 2019). "Beavers in Washington: a 'sizzling hotbed of castor relocation'". ''The Spokesman-Review''. Retrieved November 16, 2023.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Washington (state) Tributaries of the Columbia River Rivers of Stevens County, Washington

See also

References