2023 Map of Vernita Bridge

About this map

The Columbia River flows along the southern edge of this landscape, marking the natural boundary between Grant and Benton Counties. The area is characterized by significant federal land designations, including portions of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and the Hanford Reach National Monument. These sites represent the complex mid-century legacy of the region, where wartime nuclear research met the open desert. North of the river, the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge encompasses the arid terrain of the Wahluke Slope. Irrigation and water management systems are prominent, with the Saddle Mountain Wasteway and Wahatis Wasteway feeding into Saddle Mountain Lake. Near the northern border, the Mattawa Air Strip sits amidst a grid of rural roads like RD 24 SW, supporting the agricultural operations of the interior basin.