8/14/2019, 11 a.m

Day campers from Vancouver Parks and Recreation play in the new water feature at Vancouver Waterfront Park, in downtown Vancouver.
The highly anticipated Columbia River water feature at Vancouver Waterfront Park in downtown Vancouver is now open to the public.
The interactive art installation designed by artist Larry Kirkland opened on Friday, a $3.5 million gift to the city paid for by private donors and foundations. The Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department will maintain the water feature as it draws locals and visitors to enjoy the city’s waterfront for years to come.
The 12-foot tall and 16-foot wide stone and bronze monolith is oriented north and south to the adjacent Columbia River. The east face is a cast bronze bas relief map of the Columbia Basin. The west face is an engraved stone with a topographic map of the origins of the Columbia, the “Great River of the West.”
Water cascades down it in a variable flow, reflecting seasonal changes in the flow of the river. The water is chlorinated and can be waded through and played in by visitors.