Looking back

Dates in Spokane River history:

About 10,000 years ago: Missoula Floods scour the region, laying the gravels of the Spokane River and an interconnected aquifer.

1810: Explorer David Thompson helps establish the Spokane House, a fur-trading site at the confluence of the Spokane and Little Spokane rivers, a traditional gathering spot for tribes.

1911: Little Falls Dam is built at one of 11 primary American Indian fishing spots along the Spokane River.

1933-’34: Riverside State Park opens.

Late 1930s: Construction of Grand Coulee Dam blocks salmon migration from the upper Columbia River basin, including the Spokane River.

1957: The city of Spokane’s first wastewater treatment plant goes into operation.

1972: Construction of Riverfront Park begins in preparation for Expo ’74.

1988: First Spokane Canoe Classic race.

1990: Opening of the Centennial Trail’s first paved segment.

1995: Spokane Regional Health District issues a “statement of concern” over PCB levels in fish and sediments in the upper Spokane River.

2004: American Rivers ranks the Spokane River sixth on its “10 Most Endangered Rivers” list.

On the Web

Explore an interactive map of the river packaged with this story at s-r.com/ riverproject,

and find a link to a recording of Pauline Flett’s 1998 appearance on public radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”