Geologic and anthropologic history of Riverfront Park, Spokane, Washington, USA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington, USA, hosts a wide range of sites that highlight the interplay between prominent geologic features and the cultural development of Spokane. Stops in this field guide illustrate such topics as the impacts of historic Silver Valley mining, extraordinary fluvial incisions in Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group flows, cataclysmic alterations to the Spokane River valley from Pleistocene megafloods, earthquake hazards, hydroelectric generation, stormwater management solutions, and fascinating historical tidbits. Human interactions with the land began with the Interior Salish-speaking tribes, who have inhabited this region for thousands of years and historically gathered at the falls to fish. After European American influx, the Spokane River has been harnessed for many uses, including mills, water supply, irrigation, flood control, and hydropower. Today, Riverfront Park is the core of downtown Spokane, providing community access to the river and the largest urban waterfall in the United States.