On the Columbia River
Yesterday afternoon we boarded the M.V.Sea Lion in Portland, Oregon, on the western or seaward aside of the Cascade Range. There the mountains intercept moist winds coming off of the Pacific Ocean, bringing the rains that create lush coastal forests. During the evening we passed through the Cascades to reach the “Inland Empire” and were greeted by this magnificent Pacific Northwest sunrise.
The story of the Columbia River is one of man and nature, of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery (32 men, one woman, and a big black dog, as Historian Jerry Igo told us later in the day) struggling toward the Pacific Ocean, which they reached in November, 1805. Later, in the 1930s to 1960s, it is the story of man’s dominion over nature, as the flow of the Columbia River and its tributaries was harnessed by the construction of massive dams making possible the generation of hydroelectric power and accumulating water for irrigation to increase the agricultural productivity of the Inland Empire … energy and food, both essential for the developing population of the Pacific Northwest. During the night we entered locks to cross over Bonneville and The Dalles dams, rising 70 and 85 feet, respectively. Late in the morning all were on deck as we were elevated over the John Day dam, shown here, in a single lift of 105 feet, the highest single-chamber lift in the world. Finally, as daylight was fading and we settled in for a tasting of fine Pacific Northwest wines, we crossed over the McNary Dam (75 feet) and soon thereafter we entered the Snake River. The dams have had unquestionable benefits but also environmental costs. We will have the opportunity to explore and consider both of these as our voyage In the Wake of Lewis and Clark continues over the coming week.
Yesterday afternoon we boarded the M.V.Sea Lion in Portland, Oregon, on the western or seaward aside of the Cascade Range. There the mountains intercept moist winds coming off of the Pacific Ocean, bringing the rains that create lush coastal forests. During the evening we passed through the Cascades to reach the “Inland Empire” and were greeted by this magnificent Pacific Northwest sunrise.
The story of the Columbia River is one of man and nature, of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery (32 men, one woman, and a big black dog, as Historian Jerry Igo told us later in the day) struggling toward the Pacific Ocean, which they reached in November, 1805. Later, in the 1930s to 1960s, it is the story of man’s dominion over nature, as the flow of the Columbia River and its tributaries was harnessed by the construction of massive dams making possible the generation of hydroelectric power and accumulating water for irrigation to increase the agricultural productivity of the Inland Empire … energy and food, both essential for the developing population of the Pacific Northwest. During the night we entered locks to cross over Bonneville and The Dalles dams, rising 70 and 85 feet, respectively. Late in the morning all were on deck as we were elevated over the John Day dam, shown here, in a single lift of 105 feet, the highest single-chamber lift in the world. Finally, as daylight was fading and we settled in for a tasting of fine Pacific Northwest wines, we crossed over the McNary Dam (75 feet) and soon thereafter we entered the Snake River. The dams have had unquestionable benefits but also environmental costs. We will have the opportunity to explore and consider both of these as our voyage In the Wake of Lewis and Clark continues over the coming week.
