River channel depths of the upper Colville River were surveyed during a float trip in late July, 1979. The entire float traversed 152 kilometers of river. Forty-nine kilometers of continuous river channel depth recordings were used to calculate that 23 percent of the river was riffle, 57 percent was greater than riffle depth yet less than 2 meters, 20 percent was 2:_2 meters, and 4.6 percent was 2:_3 meters deep.River channel fathometer depths recorded throughout the four day float trip are summarized. The maximum recorded water depth was 7 meters. The average of all maximum channel depths for the river pools surveyed was 3.6 meters. Deep pools were associated with every river bluff surveyed. The benefits and shortcomings of 1:60,000 scale aerial photography and 1:250,000 scale Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) imagery, used as aids in this type of survey, are discussed.