Timeline

Beginning of the last Ice Age causes periglacial loess deposition in the Columbia Basin leading to the eventual formation of the Palouse region in southeast Washington.

Missoula Floods

Bonneville Flood

Marcus Whitman digs the first irrigation ditch in the Pacific Northwest.

Raboin family establishes the first permanent settlement in the Tucannon Basin – ranching and small scale irrigation commence in the Tucannon Basin.

Passage of the U.S. Homestead Act increases settlement of the Tucannon Basin.

Oscar King starts the first dryland wheat farming in the Tucannon Basin.

Northwest wheat begins exporting to world markets.

U.S. Desert Land Act passed to promote irrigation in the western U.S.

First saw mill was established at the confluence of Tucannon River and Tumalum Creek

Columbia River salmon catch reaches its peak – Columbia River salmon populations start to decline due to overfishing

The first salmon hatchery in Pacific Northwest is established in Oregon

Large-scale irrigation begins in Columbia Basin

Heavy logging begins in the Columbia Basin

Cascade Locks and Canal completed

Congress passes Reclamation Act; Federal Bureau of Reclamation created; Trail Smelter built on Upper Columbia

Major flooding washes out the Tucannon River Road

Minidoka Dam (Snake R.), first large Reclamation project

Major flood event on Tucannon River and other blue mountain streams

Congress creates Rural Electrification Administration (REA)

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) created

Bonneville Dam completed on lower Columbia River

Grand Coulee Dam completed on upper Columbia River

Construction of Hanford Engineering Works

Hanford produces first plutonium

Columbia Basin Project begins delivering water

The Dalles Dam completed

Major flood event on Tucannon River and other blue mountain streams

Hells Canyon Dam completed (ends salmon runs to upper Snake River Basin)

Congress passes Endangered Species Act

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Lower Granite Dam, the last of four lower Snake River dams

Congress passes Pacific Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Act which, for the first time, mandated that Columbia River power production and fisheries be managed as coequals.

Worst Columbia River salmon catch on record

Snake River coho salmon are extinct

Only one sockeye salmon returns to Redfish Lake in Idaho; petition submitted to place Snake River salmon stocks on endangered species list

Snake River sockeye listed as ENDANGERED under the Endangered Species Act

Snake River fall Chinook and spring Chinook listed as THREATENED under ESA

WA DOE Tucannon Watershed Assessment; Tucannon Land Use History dissertation (WSU)

Major flood event on Tucannon River and other blue mountain streams

Upper Columbia River steelhead and Snake River steelhead listed as THREATENED under ESA

Upper Columbia spring chinook declared ENDANGERED; Lower Columbia Chinook declared THREATENED; Upper Willamette River Chinook declared THREATENED; Ozette Lake sockeye declared THREATENED; Lower and Middle Columbia Steelhead declared THREATENED; Columbia River chum declared THREATENED

Tucannon Sub-basin Plan (CCD)

Lower Columbia River Coho listed as THREATENED under ESA; Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan (SRSRB)

Columbia Basin Tribes and BPA establish the Columbia Basin Fish Accords, a 10 year agreement in which BPA set aside money for tribally managed salmon restoration projects

Tucannon River Geomorphic Assessment and Habitat Restoration Study (Anchor QEA)

Tucannon River Conceptual Restoration Plan (Anchor QEA)