  |
|
|
The Yakima River flows 215 miles from the outlet of Keechelus Lake in the central Washington Cascades southeasterly to the Columbia River, draining an area of 6,155 square miles. The Yakima River Basin is one of the most intensively irrigated areas in the United States. Population in the Yakima River Basin was about 238,000 in 1990.
Increasing demands for water for municipal, fisheries, agricultural, industrial, and recreational uses will affect the ground-water resources of the basin. A better understanding of the ground-water flow system and its relation to rivers and streams is needed to effectively manage the basin's water resources.
In cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Yakama Indian Nation, the USGS is studying the ground-water system in the Yakima River Basin and how it interacts with rivers and streams in the basin. The study includes data collection, mapping of hydrogeologic units and ground-water levels, and a computer numerical model to bring together all the information.
September 18, 2006 - Yakima Basin Ground-Water Use Estimated
Ground-water pumpage information needed to assess water availability in the Yakima River Basin is available in a new report published today by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Yakama Nation, and the Washington State Department of Ecology, the report features data for over 3,000 wells, making it the largest study of its kind ever in the state.
The quantities of ground water pumped in the basin were estimated for 1960 to 2000 for eight categories of water use. Pumpage estimates were based on methods that varied by the category and primarily represent pumpage for wells with ground water rights.
"In 1960, total annual pumpage in the basin was about 115,776 acre-feet," said John Vaccaro, USGS hydrologist and lead author of the report. "By 2000, total annual pumpage was estimated to have nearly tripled, to 312,284 acre-feet."
Irrigation accounts for about 60 percent of the pumpage, followed by public water supply at about 12 percent. Ground water is the principal source of drinking water in the basin and supplies about 330,000 people in the three-county area.
Water managers in the Yakima River Basin will incorporate the pumpage estimates into computer models to boost their understanding of the ground-water flow system and to test water management strategies. The report is one of a series of USGS information products for the Yakima River Basin Groundwater Study. These information products are needed by managers to help them assess and manage water resources in the basin.
Hydrogeologic information needed to model ground-water flow in the Yakima River Basin is available in a new report published June 13, 2006 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The report was produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, Washington State Department of Ecology, and the Yakama Nation.
Water managers in the Yakima River Basin will use the computer model to boost their understanding of the ground-water flow system and how it interacts with surface water. The model will also be used to test water management strategies.
Using information from about 4,700 wells, USGS scientists mapped the sedimentary deposits in six structural basins within the overall Yakima River Basin. The maps show where the deposits are and how thick they are, and identifies their water-bearing units. The sedimentary deposits were thickest in the Kittitas Basin, reaching a depth of greater than 2,000 ft, with Roslyn Basin the thinnest at about 700 feet.
The report, “Hydrogeologic framework of sedimentary deposits in six structural basins, Yakima River Basin, Washington,” by M.A. Jones, J.J. Vaccaro, and A.M. Watkins, is published as U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5116.
Printed copies will be available after July 25, 2006, for purchase from the U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0286, telephone 303-202-4200.
The USGS serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.
For additional Yakima River Basin Project information from the USGS:
In 1999, the Department of Ecology, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Yakama Nation agreed to study ground water resources in the Yakima River Basin and to develop a hydraulic model to be used as a tool for water planning and management. The study, itself, is being done by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Focus Sheet
This publication describes what the study will do, why it's important and the status of water right permit decisions while the study is underway.
This publication answers the most frequently asked questions concerning the groundwater study being done in the Yakima River Basin.
Yakima Groundwater Study - Frequently Asked Questions (August 1999) - Currently under review for update
Teresa Mitchell
Department of Ecology, Central Regional Office
(509) 575-2597
tmit461@ecy.wa.gov
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
