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During 1982 and 1983, Central Washington Archaeological Survey conducted extensive text excavations at prehistoric archaeological sites 450K196 and 450K197, north central Washington. Funding was provided by the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, Seattle District as a part of the Chief Joseph Dam Cultural Resources Program. The study was conducted to assess the sites' cultural significance and to determine whether sediments at 450K197 could provide data on the periodicity of flooding on the Columbia River during the past two millenia. Occupations, which rest on the surfaces of individual flood deposits, represent short-term hunting camps, spring base camps, a warriors' bivouac and a modern berry drying encampment. All occupations are little disturbed and contain well-preserved biotic remains and discrete artifact patterning. Mitigation is recommended. An appendix is included describing flood periodicity on the Columbia River, analyzed by comparing actual sedimentation frequencies at 450K197 with hypothetical models of sedimentation to determine whether flood frequencies have varied during the last 1900 years.