Geographic Units

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We have divided the Yakima Basin into geographic reaches based on tributary watersheds and mainstem reaches. While we tried to follow HUC boundaries where possible, this is a unique arrangement that is meant to match how we talk about places in the basin.

The links below take you to individual pages for each area, where you can find detailed information on the watersheds, streams and river reaches in each geographic unit.

Geographic Frameworks Used in the Yakima Basin

Recovery Board system

HUC system

Population areas by species

Subbasin Plan Assessment Units

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River miles?

Link to web map of all

More information on the default geographic organization used in Yakipedia can be found below.

WRIAs

Washinton State's Water Resource Areas (WRIAs) are our top-level breakout unless there is a compelling reason to us a different geographic framework. There are three WRIAs in the Yakima Basin, and they are consistent with the USGS HUC 8s:

MAP

TABLE # name source hucs

Mid-Level Geographic Units

Middle layer are either watersheds (when all areas that drain to the lowest point in a unit are included in the unit) or reaches (when water flows into a unit from an upstream unit). We have designated 18 Mid-Level Units; they are consistent with HUC 10 watersheds except where we have a specific reason to split and/or combine HUC 10s. We use names that match local usage, which differ from the official HUC names).

MAP- WRIAs in color, mid as labeled outlines

MID LEVEL TABLE

In the Upper Yakima (WRIA 39), there are 7 Mid-level Units which match exactly with HUC 10s. In the Naches (WRIA 38), there are 4 Mid-level Units. 2 match HUC 10s, while 2 others (Tieton Watershed and the Lower Naches Reach) were split out from a single HUC 10.

Geographic Units

Geographic units are named after the dominant creek or river that passes though them. Where possible utilize HUC 12s- but in some cases creating untis that match general usage in the basin requires either combining or splitting HUC 12s.

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UPPER YAKIMA WATER RESOURCE AREA (WRIA 39)

MAP

Upper Yakima Watershed (USGS HUC 1703000103 Kachess River-Yakima River)

1. Gold Creek
2. Keechelus Lake
   1. Cold Creek
3. Upper Kachess River
4. Box Canyon
5. Kachess Lake
6. Cabin Creek
7. Big Creek
8. Upper Yakima River Mainstem
9. Easton Reach of the Yakima River Mainstem
10. Cle Elum Reach of the Yakima River Mainstem

Cle Elum Watershed (USGS HUC 1703000101 Cle Elum River)

1. Waptus River
2. Cooper River
3. Cle Elum River
   1. Cle Elum Lake
   2. Cle Elum Fish Passage Project OR LEAVE FOR NEXT LEVEL DOWN CLE ELUM PAGE?

Teanaway Watershed (USGS HUC 1703000102 CHECK NAME)

1. North Fork Teanaway River
2. Middle Fork Teanaway River
3. West Fork Teanaway River
4. Mainstem Teanaway River

Thorp to Ellensburg Reach (USGS HUC 1703000105 Taneum Creek- Yakima River)

1. Taneum Creek
2. Manastash Creek
3. Reecer Creek
4. Swauk Creek
5. Upper Canyon Yakima River Mainstem
6. Thorp Reach Yakima River Mainstem
7. Ellensburg Reach Yakima River Mainstem

Ellensburg Area Tributaries (USGS HUC 1703000104 Wilson Creek- Cherry Creek)

1. Wilson/Naneum Creeks
2. Coleman Creek
3. Cherry Creek

Yakima Canyon Reach (USGS HUC 1703000107)

1. Umptanum Creek
2. Yakima Canyon Reach Yakima River Mainstem
3. Selah Reach Yakima River Mainstem

Wenas Watershed (USGS HUC 1703000106)

1. Wenas Creek

NACHES WATER RESOURCE AREA (WRIA 38)

MAP

Upper Naches Watershed (USGS HUC 1703000201)

1. Little Naches River
2. Bumping River
3. American River
4. Upper Naches River

Nile Reach (FIX USGS HUC 1703000202)

1. Nile Creek
2. Rattlesnake Creek
3. Middle Naches River

Tieton Watershed (FIX USGS HUC 1703000203)

1. Clear Creek
2. North Fork Tieton River
3. South Fork Tieton River
4. Indian Creek
5. Rimrock Lake
6. Tieton River
7. Oak Creek

Lower Naches Reach (FIX USGS HUC)

1. Naches River
2. Cowiche Creek

LOWER YAKIMA WATER RESOURCE AREA (WRIA 37)

MAP

Gap to Gap Reach (USGS HUC 1703000302)

1. Gap to Gap Reach - Yakima River Mainstem
2. Wide Hollow
3. Moxee Drain

Ahtanum Watershed (USGS HUC 1703000301)

1. Ahtanum Creek

Wapato Reach (USGS HUCs 1703000304 and 1703000305)

1. Wanity Slough and Marion Drain
2. Wapato Reach - Yakima River Mainstem
3. Granger Drain

Toppenish Watershed (USGS HUCs 1703000303 and 1703000306)

1. Simcoe Creek
2. Upper Toppenish Creek
3. Lower Toppenish Creek

Satus Watershed (USGS HUCs 1703000307 and 1703000308)

1. Upper Satus Creek
2. Lower Satus Creek
3. Logy Creek
4. Dry Creek

Mabton Reach (USGS HUCs 1703000309 and 1703000310)

1. Mabton Reach - Yakima River Mainstem
2. Sulphur Creek Wasteway

Lower Yakima (USGS HUCs 1703000310, 1703000311 and 1703000312)

1. Prosser Reach - Yakima River Mainstem
2. Lower Yakima Reach - Yakima River Mainstem
3. Spring and Snipes Creeks
4. Corral Creek
5. Cold Creek
6. Amon Creek Wasteway
7. Yakima Delta