Columbian Plateau

Alex Purdy, Emily Crowe, Michael Aflleje

The Columbian Plateau

• The Columbian Plateau is the largestecoregion in the state. It is locatedin easternWashington (#10)

Abiotic Factors

• Climate-The Columbian Plateau is inside of the rain shadow created by the Cascade Mountain range, making this ecoregion the hottest and driest part of Washington state, with less than 10 inches of annual precipitation in the driest locations and an average of 15 inches of annual precipitation. Summers are extremely hot and dry, with temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and winters are cold and cloudy.

• Landforms-Palouse Hills, Channeled Scablands, the Pasco Basin, the Yakima Fold Hills

• Soil-Soil in the Columbian plateau region contains loess, an element of the soil that makes the Columbian plateau one of the world's most productive wheat-producing regions. The loess was deposited in the soil thousands of years ago when glaciers scoured volcanic rock into fine silt. The glaciers retreating deposited this silt into the soil, making it rich with nutrients.

• Hydrology-Water is the most limiting factor for agriculture in the Columbian Plateau. The richness of the soil accounts for the lack of rainfall in the region, making irrigation vital for agriculture in this region.

Biotic Factors• Plants-Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata)Endemic to the area. The roots of the grass have a waxy layer that helps it

resist desiccation (extreme dryness) in dry soilsIndian Ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides)Endemic to the area, adapted to grow in sand and clay.• Animals-Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Have the ability to feed on insects when young.Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)Develop a red belly when matured enough to mate.

Ecosystems

• The arid sagebrush steppe and grasslands of the region are flanked by moister, predominantly forested, mountainous ecoregions on all sides.

• The Columbian river runs through the Columbian plateau

Tourism

Davenport- Figge Art Museum, German American Heritage Center, Vander Veer Botanical ParkKennewick sailing, boating, waterskiing, swimming, fishing, windsurfing, bicycling, bowling, hunting and outdoor sportsMoses Lake Potholes State Park, House of Poverty MuseumPasco Franklin County Historical Society, Sacajawea State Park, Wahluke SlopePullman Washington State University, Kamiak Butte, Airway Hills Miniature GolfRichland Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Barnard Griffin Winery, Bookwalter WinerySpokane Manito Park, Green Bluff, Northwest Museum of Arts & CultureWalla Walla Walla Walla Vintners, Gramercy Cellars, Wine Valley Golf CourseYakima- hops, wine, apples, hiking, wine tasting, skiing, wildlife viewing Goldendale Maryhill Winery, Maryhill Museum of Art, Goldendale Observatory State Park

Threats and Issues

• Faces contamination from: -Pesticides, herbicides, and other agricultural

chemicals -Industrial effluents from pulp mills and aluminum

plants -Radioactive wastes from the Hanford Reserve• Salmon runs have declined to less than a tenth of their

former size due to the effects of dams, diversions, over-fishing and upland habitat degration.

Conservation

• The CPCRC conducts research on soil and water conservation issues in the Columbia Plateau and related land resource areas.

Cites• http://birdweb.org/birdweb/ecoregion/columbia_plateau• http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/columbia_

plateau/landforms/• http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/summer-2005/blessed-soil-and-precious-li

ttle-water• http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=53-56-00-00• http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/columbia_

plateau/Impact/

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Plateau_(ecoregion)