The Washington-Oregon Coastal River Basin Chris George Abstract: The Upper Columbia River Basin is located in central and eastern Washington and takes up 22,451 acres of land. The location of thepowerful Columbia River and the rich farmland have allowed the United States Government to turn this areea into one of the most agriculturally productive areas in the United States. The hydroelectric dams that were built to reclaim the land have had a very harmful effect on the environment and especially the salmon populations. Healthy runs of fall Chinook salmon thrive in one area in the subregion, but the future of this area is uncertain. Ironically, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation preserved a fifty-one mile long stretch of the Columbia River called the Hanford Reach. This pristine environment is currently under investigation to find interest groups that can best manage and control the environment and the land. The healthy environment and salmon populations could be in danger if land is sold to groups without the interest of preservation in mind. The destruction of the Reach would be costly to the native salmon and the ongoing efforts to study the salmon populations and ways to reverse their declining numbers all over the Pacific Northwest. Key References: United States Army Corps of Engineers. (1980). Columbia Basin Water Withdrawal Environmental Review (Appendix-1-Hydrology). Portland: Author. United States Department of the Interior. (1978). The Story of the Columbia Basin Project. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Whidden, S. (1995). The Hanford Reach: Protecting the Columbia's Last Safe Haven For Salmon. Northwest Water & Law Policy Project. Return to Water Resources Papers page.