Yakima River

Aerial view of Yakima River and east of Selah.

The Yakima River is a river in Washington state, United States. It flows into the Columbia River and is named after the Yakama people. Lewis and Clark wrote in their journals that the Sahaptin people called it Tâpe têtt, possibly from the French word tape-tête, meaning "head hit". The river starts in the Cascade Range at an elevation of 2,449 feet (746 m) near Easton.

The river is 214 miles long and has an average drop of 9.85 feet per mile. It starts in the Cascade Range at Keechelus Dam near Snoqualmie Pass, then flows through Easton and Yakima, and joins the Columbia River in Richland, creating the Yakima River Delta. The Yakima River valley is famous for its wine.

River development

The Yakima River and its streams have been changed a lot for farming. Many dams and canals for irrigation have been built. Sometimes, water used for irrigation goes back to the river through drains. This irrigation system affects the river's flow, causing both low and high water levels compared to how it used to be. The USGS has four gauges to measure the river's flow. The highest flow, 3,542 cubic feet per second, is recorded in Union Gap, halfway up the river. The two gauges downstream show lower average flows.

180° panorama of the Yakima River as viewed from Highway 821.