Trace the history and geology of the basin in this interactive timeline.
17 million – 5 million B.P.

Massive basalt flows form the Columbia Plateau
2.4 million B.P.
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.
770,000-10,000 B.P.
Missoula Floods
15,000 B.P.
Bonneville Flood
14,000 B.P.

Documented human occupation of the Columbia Basin
Since Time Immemorial

Indian people have lived in the Columbia River Basin for thousands of years. Salmon was their staple of life and the foundation of their culture and economy. It was also an important part of their religion. According to conservative estimates, prior to European settlement, the Columbia River’s annual salmon returns ranged from 11-16 million fish.
1805

Lewis and Clark journals noted the mouth of the Tucannon River entering the Snake River
1811-1832

Fort Astoria established – fur trapping expands up the Columbia River and into the Snake River Basin.
1832

Nathaniel Wyeth, a Boston merchant, tries unsuccessfully to establish a commercial fishery on the Columbia River.
1836

Marcus and Narcissa Whitman establish a mission on the Walla Walla River, along the Oregon Trail.
1837
Marcus Whitman digs the first irrigation ditch in the Pacific Northwest.
1843

Large-scale immigrant travel begins along the Oregon Trail.
1855

Governors Isaac Stevens and Joel Palmer negotiate treaties with tribes in Puget Sound and interior Columbia Basin. The treaties reserved the right to fish at “all usual and accustomed fishing places…in common with citizens.”
1859
Raboin family establishes the first permanent settlement in the Tucannon Basin – ranching and small scale irrigation commence in the Tucannon Basin.
1862
Passage of the U.S. Homestead Act increases settlement of the Tucannon Basin.
1864

The first salmon cannery on the lower Columbia River is established.
1867
Oscar King starts the first dryland wheat farming in the Tucannon Basin.
1868
Northwest wheat begins exporting to world markets.
1877
U.S. Desert Land Act passed to promote irrigation in the western U.S.
1879

First fish wheel built on the Columbia River.
1881

Establishment of a railroad between Walla Walla and Riparia, WA; ran through the town of Starbuck in the Tucannon Basin
1882
First saw mill was established at the confluence of Tucannon River and Tumalum Creek
1883
Columbia River salmon catch reaches its peak – Columbia River salmon populations start to decline due to overfishing
1887
The first salmon hatchery in Pacific Northwest is established in Oregon
1892
Large-scale irrigation begins in Columbia Basin
1894
Heavy logging begins in the Columbia Basin
1895
Cascade Locks and Canal completed
1902
Congress passes Reclamation Act; Federal Bureau of Reclamation created; Trail Smelter built on Upper Columbia
1908
Major flooding washes out the Tucannon River Road
1909
Minidoka Dam (Snake R.), first large Reclamation project
1931
Major flood event on Tucannon River and other blue mountain streams
1935
Congress creates Rural Electrification Administration (REA)
1937
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) created
1938
Bonneville Dam completed on lower Columbia River
1941
Grand Coulee Dam completed on upper Columbia River
1943
Construction of Hanford Engineering Works
1945
Hanford produces first plutonium
1952
Columbia Basin Project begins delivering water
1957
The Dalles Dam completed
1964
Major flood event on Tucannon River and other blue mountain streams
1967
Hells Canyon Dam completed (ends salmon runs to upper Snake River Basin)
1973
Congress passes Endangered Species Act
1976
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Lower Granite Dam, the last of four lower Snake River dams
1980
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.
1983
Worst Columbia River salmon catch on record
1988
Snake River coho salmon are extinct
1990
Only one sockeye salmon returns to Redfish Lake in Idaho; petition submitted to place Snake River salmon stocks on endangered species list
1991
Snake River sockeye listed as ENDANGERED under the Endangered Species Act
1992
Snake River fall Chinook and spring Chinook listed as THREATENED under ESA
1995
WA DOE Tucannon Watershed Assessment; Tucannon Land Use History dissertation (WSU)
1996
Major flood event on Tucannon River and other blue mountain streams
1997
Upper Columbia River steelhead and Snake River steelhead listed as THREATENED under ESA
1999
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
2004
Tucannon Sub-basin Plan (CCD)
2004
Tucannon Subbasin Plan 2004. Click to download.
2005
Lower Columbia River Coho listed as THREATENED under ESA; Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan (SRSRB)
2008
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
2011
Tucannon River Geomorphic Assessment and Habitat Restoration Study (Anchor QEA)
2012
Tucannon River Conceptual Restoration Plan (Anchor QEA)