Columbia Slough
General data
- Name: Columbia Slough
- Water system: Columbia River
- Water type: River
- Progression: Willamette River -> Columbia River -> Columbia River Estuary -> Pacific Ocean -> Planet Earth
- Climates: Subtropical
- Continents: North America
- Countries: United States of America
The Columbia Slough is a narrow waterway, about 31 km long, in the floodplain of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Oregon. From its source in the Portland suburb of Fairview, the Columbia Slough meanders west through Gresham and Portland to the Willamette River, about 1.6 km from the Willamette's confluence with the Columbia. It is a remnant of the historic wetlands between the mouths of the Sandy River to the east and the Willamette River to the west. Levees surround much of the main slough as well as many side sloughs, detached sloughs, and nearby lakes. Drainage district employees control water flows with pumps and floodgates. Tidal fluctuations cause reverse flow on the lower slough.
