Southeast Washington Cooperative River Basin Study

Excerpts from the report: The Southeast Washington River Basin Study area, located in southeast Washington State, encompasses 2,785,081 acres (4,351 square miles). All of Asotin, Garfield, Columbia, and Walla Walla Counties and parts of Franklin and Whitman Counties are included in the study area. The State of Washington, through the Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Conservation Commission, and Conservation Districts in Washington State, requested that the Southeast Washington River Basin Study be performed. Major study objectives included: • Basin-wide evaluation of erosion and sediment problems, present land management and stream habitat condition. • Intensive study of the Tucannon River, to determine instream effects of erosion and sediment on water quality and stream habitat conditions. • Evaluation of impacts of conservation practices and land use change as applicable to cropland and forested areas and production practices on rangeland areas in the basin. • Obtain local guidance and input to the study and provide the user groups meaningful data resulting from the study findings. The results of this study are presented in four types of reports: this summary document, ten individual watershed reports, an appendix, and two separate reports relating directly to the special Tucannon River instream investigation.