2020 Map of Riverland

About this map

Hanford Reach National Monument and the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge dominate this landscape in Benton County, where the high desert meets the protected reaches of the Columbia River corridor. The map reveals a transition from the level floor of Cold Creek Valley to the prominent rising slopes of Yakima Ridge in the southwest. This area is defined by its intermittent water sources and management by the Department of Energy, with the US Department of Energy Res Rd cutting across the eastern plains. Hydrological features like Rattlesnake Spring and the drainage of Cold Cr highlight the scarce but vital water resources that have shaped land use and conservation in this part of Washington. The preservation of these lands within the national monument system underscores their role as a buffer for the Hanford Site and a refuge for native shrub-steppe habitat.