Columbia River Can Float Ranger
One of the questions we get from supporters outside the Pacific Northwest is how can Ranger fit in a river? So we wanted to introduce our future visitors to the mighty Columbia River. The Columbia isn’t an average river, it’s a supercarrier sized river. By water volume, the Columbia River is the fourth-largest river in the United States. Her water flow is also the greatest of any river flowing into the Pacific.
Barge traffic moves up and downriver on the Columbia on Oct. 29, 2011 as seen from the banks of the Chinook Landing Marine Park.
Starting in Canada, this mighty river flows 1,243 miles to meet the Pacific Ocean at the Columbia River Bar between Oregon and Washington. Given the 2,690 foot drop in elevation, the Columbia produces more hydroelectric power than any other river in North America. In addition to working as a power generator, the river is a major transporter for commerce, wildlife, fish, wind surfers, sternwheeler tour boats, sail and power boats.
In order to keep all this water traffic moving, the navigation channel is maintained to an operating depth of 40 feet and 600 feet in width. Ranger will be moored approximately 125 miles upriver from the Pacific Ocean and navigable river traffic will continue on past her to inland Idaho, as it does today.
Many federal, state and local agencies support and manage the Columbia River, in addition to the tribes, river pilots and law enforcement agencies who are all stakeholders in this great resource. Ranger’s new home on the banks of the Columbia is a pristine setting where wildlife and commerce work together under strict land use rules.
Part of Ranger’s educational role will include the importance of the river and wildlife in our region. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which markets and moves the electricity generated by the Army Corps of Engineers dams on the Columbia, wears many hats as one of the federal stewards of the river.
Below are links to BPA free publications for kids to help them learn about the importance of this mighty river. The Foundation embraces the stewardship and responsibility of this natural resource. Not only is this river a lifeline in the Pacific Northwest, it will also move Ranger to Fairview.
Zippy, Splash and Sam Coloring Book http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/pubs/coloring_book.pdf
Salmon lifecyclHexagon to print and create (requires 11×17 paper to print out) http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/pubs/salmon_hex.pdf
How hydro power becomes electricity in our homes http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/Power_of_Learning/docs/hydro.pdf
