Rivers: Introduction
A legend among the Colville Indians says that Coyote took a big stick to the top of a mountain and dug to create the Columbia River riverbed in Washington State. Then he sang a powerful song, making water break through to give rise to the river. Coyote was very proud of himself for making a river, but when people came to the river, they were hungry. So Coyote went to the ocean and commanded the salmon to swim upstream into the river for the people.
Many cultures have stories like these. Rivers are vital to life on Earth. They provide water, food, transportation, exploration, fertile soil for growing crops, and recreation. They shape the landscape and create some of Earth’s most astonishing features, such as the Grand Canyon. This section is about rivers—how they form, the journey they take from the mountains to the sea, and the work of erosion and deposition that they carry out. You will also learn how rivers are connected to the needs of human societies.
© KC Distance Learning. All rights reserved.
