Assessment of the Lower Yakima River in Benton County, Washington

Abstract

Benton Conservation District (BCD) investigated the lower Yakima River from Prosser, WA to Richland, WA with the purpose of identifying and assessing high priority actions for the benefit of local and basin-wide salmon recovery efforts. This assessment, funded by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB), was conducted from 2008 to 2010 and included thermal profiling of the lower Yakima River, investigation of the thermal dynamics of the Yakima River delta, river depth measurements at baseflow conditions, identification of local fish screening needs, and inventory of riverbank, island, and floodplain conditions.