Yakima River
State Route 10 winds past the Yakima River (©2004 Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust)
Country	United States
State	Washington
Major cities	Cle Elum, Ellensburg, Yakima, Sunnyside, Richland
Length	214 mi (344 km) [1]
Watershed	6,150 sq mi (15,928 km²) [1]
Discharge at	Mabton
- average	3,311 cu ft/s (94 m³/s) [2]
- maximum	49,500 cu ft/s (1,402 m³/s)
- minimum	320 cu ft/s (9 m³/s)
Source	Keechelus Lake
- location	Kittitas County, Washington
- coordinates	47°19′20″N 121°20′21″W / 47.32222, -121.33917 [3]
- elevation	2,520 ft (768 m) [4]
Mouth	Columbia River
- location	Richland, Benton County, Washington
- coordinates	46°15′10″N 119°13′51″W / 46.25278, -119.23083 [3]
- elevation	344 ft (105 m) [5]
Major tributaries
- left	Cle Elum River, Teanaway River
- right	Naches River
Map of the Yakima River watershed

The Yakima River is a tributary of the Columbia River in south central and eastern Washington State, named for the indigenous Yakama people. State Route 10 is a Highway in the State of Washington, USA It parallels Interstate 90 for about 16 miles in Kittitas County The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Cle Elum is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. Ellensburg is a city in and the County seat of Kittitas County, Washington, United States. Sunnyside is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Mabton is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The cubic foot is an imperial and US customary (non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States Canada and the United Kingdom The second ( SI symbol s) sometimes abbreviated sec, is the name of a unit of Time, and is the International System of Units CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. The second ( SI symbol s) sometimes abbreviated sec, is the name of a unit of Time, and is the International System of Units The cubic foot is an imperial and US customary (non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States Canada and the United Kingdom The second ( SI symbol s) sometimes abbreviated sec, is the name of a unit of Time, and is the International System of Units CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. The second ( SI symbol s) sometimes abbreviated sec, is the name of a unit of Time, and is the International System of Units The cubic foot is an imperial and US customary (non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States Canada and the United Kingdom The second ( SI symbol s) sometimes abbreviated sec, is the name of a unit of Time, and is the International System of Units CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. The second ( SI symbol s) sometimes abbreviated sec, is the name of a unit of Time, and is the International System of Units Keechelus Lake is a Lake in Washington state USA. It is the source of the Yakima River. Kittitas County is a County located in the US state of Washington. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Columbia River (known as Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U Benton County is a County located in the south-central portion of the U Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Cle Elum River is a Tributary of the Yakima River, approximately 28 miles (45 km long in the U The Teanaway River is a Tributary of the Yakima River, in the U The Naches River is a Tributary of the Yakima River in central Washington in the United States. The Columbia River (known as Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, or simply Yakama Nation (formerly Yakima) is a Native American group with nearly 10000 enrolled 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, northwest of Cle Elum. Keechelus Lake is a Lake in Washington state USA. It is the source of the Yakima River. Snoqualmie Pass is a Census-designated place (CDP in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. Cle Elum is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. 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 at an elevation of 340 feet (104 m). Ellensburg is a city in and the County seat of Kittitas County, Washington, United States. Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U The Columbia River (known as The length of the river from headwaters to mouth is 214 miles (344 km), with an average drop of 9. 85 feet per mile (1. 87 m/km). The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand

Yakima Valley

This irrigation canal receives its water from the Yakima River. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways This canal and many like it supply the water necessary for the crops grown in the valley.

The Yakima River Basin consists of approximately 6,150 square miles (15,930 km²) located in south central Washington State. It is bounded by the Cascade Mountains on the west, the Wenatchee Mountains on the north, Rattlesnake Mountain and the Rattlesnake Hills on the east, and the Horse Heaven Hills to the south. The Wenatchee Mountains are a range of mountains in central Washington State United States of America, that is a spur of the Cascade Range. Rattlesnake Mountain is the name of 55 summits in the United States alone including Alabama Rattlesnake Mountain Cleburne Alabama Arkansas The Horse Heaven Hills is a range of rolling hills in Klickitat and Benton counties in Washington State on the west side of the Columbia River The basin encompasses areas designated by the Washington Department of Ecology as the Upper Yakima Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs) 38 and 39 and the Lower Yakima WRIA 37. The Washington Department of Ecology, or simply Ecology, is an environmental regulatory agency for the State of Washington. The dividing line between these northern and southern sections is the confluence of the Naches and Yakima Rivers. The Naches River is a Tributary of the Yakima River in central Washington in the United States.

The Yakima River provides irrigation for the dry but fertile land in the valley, and irrigated agriculture is the economic base. Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops Agricultural land totals 1,000 square miles (2,600 km²), including irrigated pastures, orchards, grapes, hops, and field crops. A significant portion of Washington apples and cherries are grown in the valley, as well as most of the United States's hops. The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae. This article is about the Cherry berry also classified as fruit for the ornamental tree See Cherry Blossom. The hop ( Humulus) is a small genus of Flowering plants native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. In recent decades, the wine industry has grown rapidly in the area. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice It is the location of the Yakima Valley AVA, a designated American Viticultural Area. The Yakima Valley AVA was the first American Viticultural Area established within Washington State, gaining the recognition in 1983 An American Viticultural Area is a designated Wine Grape -growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features with boundaries

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. ^[1] 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 cities of Yakima and Richland. Population growth for the 1990s was projected at 7. 9% in Kittitas County, 19. Kittitas County is a County located in the US state of Washington. 7% in Yakima County, and 22. Yakima County is a County located in the US state of Washington. 7% in Benton County. Benton County is a County located in the south-central portion of the U 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 Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP is a series of federal policies and guidelines governing Land use on Federal lands in the Pacific Northwest The Northern Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, is one of three Spotted Owl subspecies 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. Puget Sound (ˈpjuːʤᵻt is an arm of the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest ^[6]

The Yakima River has been listed as one of the most polluted rivers in the county. This is largely due to the massive amounts of run off from agriculture and dairy farms in the lower stretches of the river. One year of peculiarly bad flooding, dead cows and other livestock could be seen floating downriver. This pollution is at its peak when it reaches Benton City, Washington, thereby making Benton City (when flooded) nearly impossible to live in due to the dead livestock and fecal matter amassed along the banks of the Yakima River.

See also

• Tributaries of the Columbia River
• Yakima Valley AVA

References