Why Yakima Basin

Bench Mark Mountain
Andrea Imler
The Yakima Basin in the North Cascades sustains fish, families and farms.

The Yakima Basin houses pristine wilderness and critical habitat for endangered species. There is also a tremendous need to protect the availability of cool, clean water for the people and wildlife that live, work and play in the Yakima Basin.


The Yakima Basin is one of the most diverse watersheds in Washington state, from the wet, alpine forests of the North Cascades to the arid, sagebrush-studded Yakima Valley. This basin is also home to the Yakima River, which sustains fish, families and farms as it makes its way to the Columbia River.


The Yakima Basin encompasses 320,000 acres of pristine wilderness and waters that are home to endangered species such as gray wolves, spotted owl, bull trout and steelhead. With more than one million acres of wild lands, the basin also provides an abundance of recreational opportunities, from snowmobiling to fly-fishing.