Yakima River
Yakima River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
Cities | Cle Elum, Ellensburg, Yakima, Sunnyside, Richland |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Keechelus Lake |
• location | Kittitas County, Washington |
• coordinates | 47°19′20″N 121°20′21″W / 47.32222°N 121.33917°W[1] |
• elevation | 2,520 ft (770 m)[2] |
Mouth | Columbia River at Lake Wallula |
• location | Richland, Benton County, Washington |
• coordinates | 46°15′10″N 119°13′51″W / 46.25278°N 119.23083°W[1] |
• elevation | 344 ft (105 m)[3] |
Length | 214 mi (344 km)[4] |
Basin size | 6,150 sq mi (15,900 km2)[4] |
Discharge | |
• location | Kiona, RM 30[5] |
• average | 3,493 cu ft/s (98.9 m3/s)[5] |
• minimum | 225 cu ft/s (6.4 m3/s) |
• maximum | 59,400 cu ft/s (1,680 m3/s) |
Discharge | |
• location | Mabton, RM 60 |
• average | 3,311 cu ft/s (93.8 m3/s) |
Discharge | |
• location | Union Gap, RM 107 |
• average | 3,542 cu ft/s (100.3 m3/s) |
Discharge | |
• location | Umtanum, RM 140 |
• average | 2,430 cu ft/s (69 m3/s) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Cle Elum River, Teanaway River |
• right | Naches River |
The Yakima River is a
Course
The river rises in the Cascade Range at an elevation of 2,449 feet (746 m) at Keechelus Dam on Keechelus Lake near Snoqualmie Pass, near Easton. The river flows through that town, skirts Ellensburg, passes the city of Yakima, and continues southeast to Richland, where it flows into the Columbia River creating the Yakima River Delta at an elevation of 340 feet (100 m).
About 9 million years ago, the Yakima River flowed south from near
During the last
The first western explorers to visit the river were Lewis and Clark on or about October 17, 1805. They stopped briefly at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia, although they did not proceed upriver. The river was then known to local Native Americans as "Tap Teel", although the area has been inhabited since prehistory.
Recreation
The Yakima River is used for
The dry climate, with over 300 sunshine days a year, draws visitors from Seattle, about two hours' drive away.[9]
Yakima Valley
The Yakima River Basin consists of approximately 6,150 square miles (15,900 km2) located in south central Washington State. It is bounded by the Cascade Mountains on the west, the
The Yakima River provides
Major landowners in the valley include federal and state agencies and the Yakama Indian Nation. Private ownership accounts for 1,246,818 acres (5,045.69 km2). The United States Forest Service manages 892,509 acres (3,611.86 km2), and the Yakama Nation owns 889,786 acres (3,600.84 km2) within the basin.[4] Forested areas in the northern and western portions of the basin occupy approximately 2,200 square miles (5,700 km2) and are used for recreation, wildlife habitat, timber harvest, grazing, and tribal cultural activities. Range lands comprise about 2,900 square miles (7,500 km2) and are used for military training, grazing, wildlife habitat, and tribal cultural activities.
Major population centers include the city of Yakima and the Tri-Cities area. Population growth for the 1990s was projected at 7.9% in Kittitas County, 19.7% in Yakima County, and 22.7% in Benton County. While much of the growth in Benton and Yakima counties has been in and around the incorporated areas, most of the growth in Kittitas County has been in unincorporated areas.
In addition to irrigated agriculture, the major economic driving forces include timber harvest and processing, cattle, and outdoor recreation. With the significant reduction in timber harvesting on federal lands and the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan to protect the endangered northern spotted owl, the timber economy has been greatly eroded in recent years. The proximity to high population areas of the Puget Sound has caused a rapid increase in the demand for outdoor recreational experiences in the basin.[10]
River modifications
The Yakima River and its tributaries have been heavily altered for the purpose of irrigated agriculture. There are numerous dams and irrigation canals. Irrigation runoff is in places returned to the river through canal drains. The irrigation system in the Yakima's watershed causes periods of both severe river dewatering and elevated flows, relative to the historic streamflow regime. As a result,
See also
References
- ^ USGSGNIS.
- ^ Google Earth elevation for GNIS source coordinates.
- ^ Google Earth elevation for GNIS mouth coordinates.
- ^ a b c d Yakima Subbasin Plan Overview, Northwest Power and Conservation Council
- ^ a b c Yakima River and Esquatzel Coulee Basins and the Columbia River from Richland to Kennewick, Water Resources Data-Washington Water Year 2005
- ^ Clark, William (18 October 1805). "October 18, 1805". Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Center for Digital Research in the Humanities with the University of Nebraska Press. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ "Search results for Place : Yakima (Tapteete) River". Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Center for Digital Research in the Humanities with the University of Nebraska Press. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ "Amon Basin Earthcache". Groundspeak. Retrieved 20 Feb 2013.
- ^ "Yakima Valley has wine and 300 days of sun", The Seattle Times, May 15, 2008
- ^ United States EPA Performance Plan