2017 Map of Thorp

About this map

Thorp sits at the nexus of a complex water management network where the Yakima River enters the broad Kittitas Valley. This 2017 study illustrates a landscape profoundly shaped by irrigation engineering, dominated by the paths of the Taneum Ditch, North Branch Canal, W Side Canal, and the Ellensburg Power Canal. These artificial waterways cut across the natural drainage of numerous deep-cut landforms including Taneum Canyon, Watt Canyon, and Robinson Canyon, which descend from the western uplands toward the river valley. The settlement pattern is largely defined by the Thorp Hwy and the railroad corridor, with the Thorp Cemetery situated on a rise east of the town center. To the northwest, the open expanse of Thorp Prairie provides a contrast to the concentrated agricultural and residential activity found along the riverbanks and the various reclamation district roads.