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WA - Restoring Streamflow in Key River Basins

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Yakima River Basin
The majority of the Yakima Basin receives little precipitation, particularly in the summer months. Therefore the basin is dependent on water captured from snowmelt where water is stored in five major reservoirs and as groundwater. In addition to its role as one of the most productive agricultural basins in the state, the Yakima and its limited water must also meet the needs of trout and salmon, the everyday needs of the residents, commercial businesses and industrial users, provide recreational opportunities, and sustain fish and wildlife.
Wenatchee River Basin

The Wenatchee Basin extends from the snowfields, glaciers and steep, forested Cascade Mountains in the northwest, through orchards in the Wenatchee River Valley, to the shrub-steppe of the eastern watershed at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers. The Wenatchee River and its tributaries boast some of the healthiest anadromous fish runs in the Columbia River drainage and contain salmonid habitat that is important to the entire Columbia River region. Regardless, spring Chinook in the basin have been federally listed as endangered and bull trout and steelhead have been listed as threatened. Within the watershed, human alterations are reducing habitat quality and quantity, but WWP is focusing efforts in the basin to improve the fish habitat to help ensure their long-term survival.
Entiat River Basin
The Entiat River Basin is a jewel in the backyard of the Wenatchee located along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in north-central Washington. The river flows from the glaciers in the high cascades through the Entiat valley, and apple and pear orchards are king. The river is home to native Steelhead, Chinook, Bull Trout and Cutthroat, as well as abundant wildlife.
Methow River Basin
The Methow River is a dynamic system and water is present in a variety of forms at any one time in the basin, from snow pack, to rainfall and stream flow, groundwater recharge, groundwater storage, and surface water storage. Irrigation accounts for the majority of allocated water use in the basin. The river has populations of Chinook, Steelhead, Bull Trout, Coho, cutthroat trout and Pacific Lamprey, all of which need adequate space and habitat for the basic life requirements. WWP is committed to working in the Methow Basin to achieve greater flows for fish populations.
Okanogan River Basin
The Okanogan is a robust river valley where water is the lifeblood. The Okanogan’s headwaters begin deep in British Columbia flows to Lake Osoyoos just north of the Canadian Border. Once the river enters the United States it is joined by its cousin the Similkameen River to form the mainstem Okanogan, before it glides into the Columbia. The key word in the Okanogan Valley is diversity, describing the people, the agriculture and the landscape. The Okanogan is the last stop for anadromous fish of the Columbia and has plentiful habitat for bears and bees alike.