2017 Map of Vernita Bridge

About this map

The Columbia River serves as the focal point for this 2017 survey, marking the boundary between Grant and Benton Counties. This landscape is defined by the complex water management systems of the Saddle Mountain Wasteway and Wahatis Wasteway, which feed into Saddle Mountain Lake. These features reveal the engineered nature of the contemporary high desert, where irrigation runoff is channeled through the arid terrain. The map also highlights significant federally protected lands, including the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge and portions of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, underscoring the region's unique intersection of environmental conservation and 20th-century nuclear history. Infrastructure such as the Vernita Bridge and the Mattawa Air Strip provide essential connectivity across the Wahluke Slope, an area characterized by its agricultural potential and vast open spaces.