If you haven’t listened to Wide Open, an audio series about the 1973 US Endangered Species Act by Montana journalist Nick Mott, it’s worth a listen. His episode about the Tennessee Valley Authority and the small fish that almost stopped a dam being completed made me think of the Columbia River salmon populations. Before dams, […]
Landscapes
Coming Together in Portland
How will a new Columbia River Treaty flood control agreement find balance between American and Canadian interests?
The path of Mt. Rainier’s Snow
Touring Big River since June 1 has brought me into the sights of Mt. Rainier. On clear days, this pinnacle rises high above the Seattle skyline and busy port. I’ve been lucky enough to see it often during my time here. Most of the snow on Mt. Rainier descends to the ocean. The snow on […]
Nerding out about dams
He was smart, deeply interested in the ecological impact of dams, and understood immediately the national importance of the columbia River Treaty.
Winter Drought
For a while now, I have been following a remarkable turn of events in the upper Columbia River region. The Columbia River Treaty (CRT) is an international agreement between the US and Canada, for flood control and enhanced hydroelectricity. The CRT was entirely designed to provide spring storage of winter snowmelt, so that summer and […]
Two Worlds, One Heart
Since my personal move to California during the pandemic, I’ve spent less time in the upper Columbia River region that formed and shaped my writing, but I have not stopped thinking and writing about it. Last year, Rocky Mountain Books released a new edition of The Geography of Memory, and next year they will provide […]