The Spokane River flows from Lake Coeur d'Alene in the Idaho Panhandle, emptying into the Columbia River at Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, approximately 180 km downstream.

For over 8,000 years, the Spokane Tribes have resided on the banks of the Spokane River.  Native peoples gathered at a magnificent set of falls and rapids to catch salmon and trade with their neighbors, leading the way for non-tribal settlement of the area. Most recently local communities depend upon the Spokane River for industry, quality of life and aesthetics.