ASTORIA, Ore. — The water seems quiet and calm at the mouth of the Columbia River, offering no hint of its turbulent history or the deep emotions that it provokes in the Pacific Northwest.
From its headwaters in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains, the river weaves through a tapestry of mountains, desert sagebrush and steep canyons to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, it is the cord that ties the region together.
It nourishes communities and crops, wildlife and fish. It provides a treasure of irrigation, transportation and electricity. For native peoples and the millions of white settlers who followed, it's a spiritual and recreational jewel to be cherished and enjoyed.
But demands on the river are escalating as the region changes, and the many conflicts that smolder and simmer around the river are heating up.
A multiyear drought -- in tandem with significant growth -- has parched communities and farms. Dismal snowpack will leave streams and rivers low, once again raising the specter of a fish-versus-power debate.
Jim Wells, a weathered fisherman on the Oregon coast, worries about the future for three sons who are trying to follow him into the business. One has already opted for an engineering career, although he's holding onto his commercial fishing permit in case conditions improve.
"There's just not enough in it to be a fisherman today," Wells said. "Without the fish, there's no money, and without money, these communities dry up."
You'll hear other worries from imperiled users throughout the river's vast drainage: farmers who rely on barge transportation to get grain to market, vintners who need irrigation to feed the region's growing wine industry, sport fishermen who worry that the thrill of hooking a big salmon might become a thing of the past.
From dam removal to dredging, water spills to water rights, debates rage about how one of the nation's largest rivers should be managed.
"Whoever controls this river and its resources controls so much of the wealth of this region," said Katrine Barber, an assistant history professor at Portland State University in Oregon. "Nobody is very happy with the compromise that gets struck. I think that's probably going to be the future."
Between 1990 and 2000, the population in Washington, Idaho and Oregon grew more than 20%, increasing demand for water and power. That growth continues today, even as parts of the Columbia River basin enter a seventh straight year of severe drought.
