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In the Footsteps of Ancient Explorers: How did Lewis and Clark first uncover the Yakima River?
The Yakima River is a tributary of the Columbia River located in south-central and eastern Washington State. The river is named after the Yakama Nation, a local indigenous people. In Lewis and Clark's journals, they mention that the local Aboriginal people called the river "Tâpe têtt," or Tapteete, which may have come from the French "tape-tête," meaning "head-butt." The length of this river from source to mouth is 214 miles (about 344 kilometers), with an average gradient of 9.85 feet (about 1.87 meters) per mile, making it the longest river in Washington State.
The origin and history of the Yakima River
The Yakima River originates in the Cascade Mountains at a water level of approximately 2,449 feet (746 meters) at Kikilus Lake near Kikilus Dam. From there the river flows through towns to the east, around Ellensburg, past Yakima City, and continues southeast toward Richland and finally into the Columbia River, creating Yakima at an elevation of 340 feet (about 100 meters). river delta. About nine million years ago, the Yakima River originally flowed from near Vantage to the Tri-Cities, and then headed west straight to the ocean, passing through Badger Canyon west of Kennewick.
"The topography of the Columbia Plateau has changed dramatically over the past 15,000 years as a result of the Missoula Glacial Floods, which left thick deposits of sediment in what is today the Yakima River Basin."
As a result of these floods, the Yakima River changed its course and eventually emptied into the Columbia River at present-day Richland. During the last Ice Age, the Missoula Flood further altered the region's landscape, creating new waterways for the Yakima River. However, the earliest Western explorers, Lewis and Clark, came to the river around October 17, 1805, when they stopped at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers, although they did not explore the upper reaches.
Yakima River Recreational Activities
In the summer, the Yakima River is a popular spot for whitewater rafting, kayaking, and fishing, especially near Ellensburg and where it joins the Columbia River. Depending on conditions and season, the Yakima River is rated between Class I and Class II flow rates, attracting large numbers of visitors. In the Tri-Cities area, the Yakima River Delta offers a number of hiking trails, and its dry climate and more than 300 days of sunshine per year make it a popular destination for visitors from Seattle.
Ecology and Economy of the Yakima Valley
The Yakima River Basin covers an area of approximately 6,150 square miles (15,900 square kilometers). It is bounded by the Cascade Mountains to the west, the Windsor Mountains to the north, Viper Mountain and Viper Hills to the east, and the Machtian Hills to the south. The watershed is a designated water resource area in Washington State and encompasses multiple water management areas. The Yakima River provides irrigation for the dry but fertile farmland, and agriculture becomes the basis of the local economy.
"The irrigation system provided by the Yakima River allowed agriculture in the region to flourish and produce 75% of the hops in the United States as well as large quantities of apples and cherries."
With the rapid development of the wine industry at the end of the 20th century, the Yakima Valley became a designated American wine producing area, and the young winemaking industry was booming. The continued increase in private land, combined with federal and local government management, has resulted in a great diversity of land uses in the region. However, in recent years, due to the impact of the epidemic and the restrictions of the Ecological Protection Law, the timber economy has been severely hit.
River transformation and challenges
The Yakima River and its tributaries were extensively modified for irrigated agriculture. The construction of many dams and irrigation canals has changed the natural flow of the river, sometimes causing the river to seriously dry up, and sometimes causing a significant increase in flow. All of this has severely impacted the Yakima River's hydrological data, with data from many flow gauge stations showing the river's flow fluctuates more than it has historically.
“With the increasing demand in the United States, the management of water resources in the Yakima River has increasingly become a major challenge in modern society, and balancing the needs of the economy and the environment has become a core issue that needs to be solved in the future.”
Today, the history and current situation of the Yakima River reveals the story of how humans affect nature and coexist with it. This is a continuous exploration and learning, and this also prompts us to think about what the Yakima River will be like in the future. What kind of scene is it?
