Exploring the Columbia River through analog photography

Unfortunately, as the mighty Columbia River was and still is a major route of transportation for shipping in the Pacific NW (PNW) and Upper Western States (UWS), the damming of the river system to allow for increased, larger shipping to/from those indicated areas and desperately needed irrigation and drinking water capacity, destroyed one of the Natural Wonders found in this Country; Celilo Falls, a previously unpassable natural obstruction in the river. It was tamed via outright destruction of the falls, and the Bonneville Dam and attendant ship lock system. It was a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation (pardon my pun), balancing natural beauty of the river, Native Fishing capabilities, etc., versus the need for an unobstructed shipping route to the Pacific Ocean for the PNW, to the UWS and a good portion of the Western Canada plains via the Snake River system into the Columbia, not to mention drinking water capacity.

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
"Mica Dam, Columbia River, British Columbia. Mica Dam, is the first, or uppermost dam of 14 on the main stem of the Columbia. Completed in 1973 it stands 801 feet above the bedrock. Ancestral homeland of the Secwepemc, Ktunaxa, Syilx tmix and Sinixt People. Copyright Robbie McClaran, from "The Great River of the West"."