Yakima Canyon Ranch

CONSERVED - March 2024

We are pleased to announce the Yakima Canyon Ranch Project is complete! It was conveyed to the Bureau of Land Management on March 20, 2024. This will open significant new opportunities for people to access and explore the Yakima River. WRC’s efforts will conserve excellent wildlife habitat and provide permanent access to the popular Big Horn boating site and and campground and 3.5 miles of the Yakima River.

Several years ago, we received a random letter from a Western Rivers Conservancy representative. Hard to believe that random act has led us to the Foundation’s first really BIG project. After learning more about WRC, we found our organizations share the same mission. We applaud the work they are doing and are proud to partner with them.

In 2021, Western Rivers Conservancy set out to conserve Yakima Canyon Ranch, which spans three and a half stunning miles of the Yakima River in eastern Washington. The Yakima is one of the West’s premier streams known for its fly fishing, recreational floating, spectacular river canyon and unique wildlife.

Tide SW Foundation is excited to have provided the funding for Western Rivers Conservancy to purchase this property, with the long-term goal of it being acquired by the Bureau of Land Management, preserving public access and open space forever.

  • Specifics

    The Yakima Canyon Ranch is located in the 27-mile-long Yakima River Canyon between Ellensburg and Yakima, WA. The 647-acre property includes 3.5 miles of Yakima River frontage. Part of the ranch sits on both sides of the river along a dramatic horseshoe bend. The ranch is comprised of three blocks of land known as Bighorn, Beavertail and Umptanum.

    Map

  • Public Access

    The Yakima Canyon Ranch controls critical access and launch points along the Yakima River. Acquiring the property will continue to provide public access to four miles of river frontage and deliver permanent access to the popular Bighorn boat launch.

  • Fish and Wildlife

    The Yakima Canyon Ranch lies in the heart of some of the best fly fishing water in the state. This project will protect migratory habitat for salmon and steelhead as well as excellent habitat for California bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain elk, and mule deer. The canyon’s crevices and cliffs are home to the densest concentration of nesting hawks, eagles, and falcons in the state.

  • Long Term Goals

    The Yakima Canyon Ranch is an inholding in the BLM’s Yakima Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern. With funding provided by the Tide SW Foundation to Western Rivers Conservancy in December 2021, they were able to purchase the property. WRC will hold and manage the ranch until an appropriation from the Land and Water Conservation Fund is secured. WRC will then convey the property to the BLM.

    Press Release
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Photos and text courtesy of WRC