The Yakima River Basin, including its role as tributary to the Columbia River system, is the focus of this collection of research documents, agency reports and journal articles.
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Browsing Yakima Basin Natural Resources by Subject "Columbia River"
(Washington State Dept. of Ecology, 2001-01) Carroll, Jim; Joy, Joe
Poor upstream water quality was concluded to be the foremost determinant of water quality
conditions in the last 47 miles of the lower Yakima River evaluated in this study. Changes in
operational flows at Chandler Canal cannot overcome the water quality degradation occurring upstream. The QUAL2E model mainly predicted some dilution effects on water quality parameters due to increased water volumes associated with the operational changes. Reduced settling of chlorophyll a and total suspended solids was also predicted due to increased velocities of flows. These effects were especially apparent in the Prosser Dam to Chandler Return reach. The proposed operational change at Columbia Canal diversion is predicted to have no noticeable impact on water quality conditions downstream of that diversion.