In 2013, local author Takaia Larsen invited me to participate in a history of the Columbia River valley between Castlegar and Revelstoke. In preparation for my contribution to this volume, I imagined the Columbia River as it was 1,000 years ago, drawing on my years of research and travel in the region.
First Trip to Grand Coulee Dam
It was spring, 2004. I set out in my old Mercury pickup to find the dam that blocked salmon from ascending to spawn in the mountains where I live. It was my first trip to Grand Coulee Dam and the start of a decade-long research project that became an award-winning museum exhibit on the […]
Grand Coulee Dam -Banks “Lake” Reservoir
Ever been to Banks Lake? This is where water from the Columbia River is pumped and stored. An ancient geological coulee, carved by water flowing across volcanic basalt. Banks Lake is not a lake at all. It is a giant irrigation project, but that does not lessen its beauty on a still spring […]
Boundary Dam
This dam is just below the international boundary between Canada and the U.S., in a tucked-away corner. Pacific Northwest dams are often in tucked-away corners…..though they share water’s power with millions of people living in cities like Vancouver and Seattle.
Spokane River Shell
I found this shell in a sand bank on the Spokane River. It is this sort of noticing that opens up water’s mystery for me.
Liking Lichens
Sometimes, on a drippy, early spring day, there is little else to notice in the woods than lichens. This was from one walk in a fairly dry, rocky woods at the edge of Slocan Lake. I collected a piece of each one that I could find on the short walk.