Priest Rapids
The Priest Rapids were a narrow, fast-flowing section of the Columbia River in the central part of Washington state . In the 1950s they were flooded by the construction of the Priest Rapids Dam .
history
Before the dam was built, the river fell about 20 ft (6 m) over a short stretch. In total, the Priest Rapids consisted of seven individual cataracts over a distance of 14 kilometers with a height difference of 22 meters.
The name Priest Rapids was coined in 1811 by Alexander Ross , an employee of the Pacific Fur Company . Ross wrote of his visit to the "mighty and rocky rapids"; there he met a man called "Haquilaugh, which means ... priest". Haquilaugh was an influential leader of the Wanapum , after whom Ross gave the rapids their English name.
At the Priest Rapids, the Columbia River narrowed and flowed quickly, making it an ideal place to catch salmon . There were several rapids and fishing spots, as well as a dozen or so Wanapum villages on the west bank of the Columbia River on the Priest Rapids.
The Priest Rapids Dam , built in the 1950s, flooded the Priest Rapids, taking advantage of the difference in elevation the river overcame here to use hydropower for power generation. There are therefore no more rapids on the Priest Rapids today.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Paul Dorpat, Genevieve McCoy: Building Washington: A History of Washington State Public Works . Tartu Publications, 1998, ISBN 0-9614357-9-8 , p. 25.
swell
- Kirk, Ruth and Carmela Alexander: Exploring Washington's Past: A Road Guide to History, Revised Edition , University of Washington Press, Seattle (1990, revised edition 1995). ISBN 0-295-97443-5
Web links
Priest Rapids in the United States Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System
Coordinates: 46 ° 45 ′ 17 " N , 119 ° 58 ′ 20" W.