Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and 

DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04

Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5102

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
Cover: Photographs of crops in Granger Drain Basin, Washington. 

Large Photo: Wine grape vines with Snipes Mountain in distance (Photograph 

by Henry M. Johnson, U.S. Geological Survey, May 4, 2005).

Inset 1: Concord grapes (Photograph by Henry M. Johnson, U.S. Geological 

Survey, October 3, 2003).

Inset 2: Corn and concord grapes (Photograph by Henry M. Johnson, U.S. 

Geological Survey, August 17, 2005).
Environmental Setting of the 

Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, 

Washington, 2003–04

By Karen L. Payne, Henry M. Johnson, and Robert W. Black

Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5102

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Mark D. Myers, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2007

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Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to 

reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Payne, K.L., Johnson, H.M., and Black, R.W., 2007, Environmental setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, 

Washington, 2003–04: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5102, 26 p.
iii

Foreword

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is committed to providing the Nation with accurate and timely 

scientific information that helps enhance and protect the overall quality of life and that facilitates 

effective management of water, biological, energy, and mineral resources (http://www.usgs.gov/). 

Information on the quality of the Nation’s water resources is critical to assuring the long-term 

availability of water that is safe for drinking and recreation and suitable for industry, irrigation, and 

habitat for fish and wildlife. Population growth and increasing demands for multiple water uses 

make water availability, now measured in terms of quantity and quality, even more essential to the 

long-term sustainability of our communities and ecosystems.

The USGS implemented the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in 1991 to 

support national, regional, and local information needs and decisions related to water-quality 

management and policy (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa). Shaped by and coordinated with ongoing 

efforts of other Federal, State, and local agencies, the NAWQA Program is designed to answer: 

What is the condition of our Nation’s streams and ground water? How are the conditions changing 

over time? How do natural features and human activities affect the quality of streams and ground 

water, and where are those effects most pronounced? By combining information on water chemistry, physical characteristics, stream habitat, and aquatic life, the NAWQA Program aims to provide 

science-based insights for current and emerging water issues and priorities. 

From 1991-2001, the NAWQA Program completed interdisciplinary assessments in 51 of the 

Nation’s major river basins and aquifer systems, referred to as Study Units (http://water.usgs.gov/

nawqa/studyu.html). Baseline conditions were established for comparison to future assessments, 

and long-term monitoring was initiated in many of the basins. During the next decade, 42 of the 51 

Study Units will be reassessed so that 10 years of comparable monitoring data will be available to 

determine trends at many of the Nation’s streams and aquifers. The next 10 years of study also will 

fill in critical gaps in characterizing water-quality conditions, enhance understanding of factors that 

affect water quality, and establish links between sources of contaminants, the transport of those 

contaminants through the hydrologic system, and the potential effects of contaminants on humans 

and aquatic ecosystems.

The USGS aims to disseminate credible, timely, and relevant science information to inform practical 

and effective water-resource management and strategies that protect and restore water quality. 

We hope this NAWQA publication will provide you with insights and information to meet your 

needs, and will foster increased citizen awareness and involvement in the protection and restoration of our Nation’s waters. 

The USGS recognizes that a national assessment by a single program cannot address all waterresource issues of interest. External coordination at all levels is critical for a fully integrated 

understanding of watersheds and for cost-effective management, regulation, and conservation of 

our Nation’s water resources. The NAWQA Program, therefore, depends on advice and information 

from other agencies—Federal, State, interstate, Tribal, and local—as well as nongovernmental 

organizations, industry, academia, and other stakeholder groups. Your assistance and suggestions 

are greatly appreciated.

 Robert M. Hirsch

Associate Director for Water
iv

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Contents

Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................iii

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................1

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins.......................................................................1

Physical and Cultural Features...........................................................................................................3

Physiography and Topography ...........................................................................................................3

Geology and Stratigraphy....................................................................................................................3

Soils ....................................................................................................................................................6

Land Use and Population.....................................................................................................................8

Agriculture ....................................................................................................................................8

Urban .........................................................................................................................................15

Climate..................................................................................................................................................16

Hydrology .............................................................................................................................................17

Surface Water.....................................................................................................................................19

Ground Water......................................................................................................................................22

Floods and Droughts...........................................................................................................................24

Summary........................................................................................................................................................24

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................25

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing study areas in the Yakima River Basin including the Granger

Drain and DR2 basins, Washington ...................................................... 2

Figure 2. Map showing physiographic relief of the Granger Drain and DR2 basins,

Washington ................................................................................. 4

Figure 3. Map showing bedrock geology of the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington 5

Figure 4. Map showing soil types in the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington......... 7

Figure 5. Map showing land cover in the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington ...... 9

Figure 6. Map showing population density in the Granger Drain basin, Washington ......... 15

Figure 7. Graph showing population change from 1968 to 2002 in Granger, Washington...... 16

Figure 8. Graph showing long-term and 2004 average daily temperatures, by month, in

the Granger Drain basin study area, Washington ....................................... 17

Figure 9. Graphs showing annual precipitation from 1948–2004 measured adjacent to

the Granger Drain basin study area and mean monthly precipitation from

1948–2004 and monthly precipitation for 2004 measured adjacent to the

Granger Drain basin study area in Sunnyside, Washington ........................... 18

Figure 10. Map showing locations of streams, canals, and gaging stations in the

Granger Drain basin study area, Washington .......................................... 19

Figure 11. Graph showing annual total discharge measured during 2000 to 2003 at the

Granger Drain (12505450) gaging station, Washington ................................. 20

Figure 12. Graph showing daily mean and monthly average discharge during 2003 to

2004 for the Granger Drain (12505450) and DR2 basin (462023120075200)

gaging stations, Washington............................................................... 21
vi

Tables

Table 1. Percentage of abundance of soil types within the Granger Drain and DR2

basins, Washington, based on SSURGO ................................................ 6

Table 2. Summary of crop and irrigation types in the Granger Drain and DR2 basins,

Washington, calendar years 1992, 2003, and 2004....................................... 10

Table 3. Summary of potential pesticide use in the DR2 basin, Washington, during

calendar years 2003 and 2004 ............................................................ 12

Table 4. Summary of daily mean streamflow characteristics at the Granger

Drain and DR2 gaging stations, Washington, during water years 2003–2004 ...... 21

Conversion Factors and Datums

Conversion Factors

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

acre 4,047 square meter (m2

)

acre 0.4047 hectare (ha)

acre 0.4047 square hectometer (hm2

) 

acre 0.004047 square kilometer (km2

)

square mile (mi2

) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

square kilometer (km2

) 0.3861 square mile (mi2)

Volume

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3

)

Flow rate

cubic foot (ft3

) 0.02832 cubic meter (m3)

cubic foot per second (ft3

/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

°C = (1.8 x °C) + 32.

Datums

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 

(NAVD 88).

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Altitude as used in this report refers to distance above the vertical datum.

Figures—Continued

Figure 13. Conceptual cross section of the Granger Drain basin, Washington .................. 22

Figure 14. Map showing conceptualized ground-water flow system for the Granger Drain

basin, Washington........................................................................... 23
Abstract

The Granger Drain and DR2 basins are located in the 

Yakima River basin in south central Washington. These 

agricultural basins are one of five areas in the United States 

selected for study as part of the National Water-Quality 

Assessment Program Agricultural Chemicals: Source, 

Transport, and Fate Study. The Program is designed to 

describe water-quality conditions and trends based on 

representative surface- and ground-water resources across the 

Nation. The objective of the Agricultural Chemicals topical 

study is to investigate the sources, transport, and fate of 

selected agricultural chemicals in a variety of agriculturally 

diverse environmental settings. The Granger Drain and DR2 

basins were selected for the Agricultural Chemicals topical 

study because they represent the irrigated agricultural setting 

that characterizes eastern Washington. These basins are 

located in one of the most productive agricultural areas in 

the United States. This report describes the environmental 

setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 basins in the context 

of how agricultural practices, including agricultural chemical 

applications and irrigation methods, interface with natural 

settings and hydrologic processes.

Introduction

The Granger Drain and DR2 basins are located in the 

Yakima River basin in south central Washington (fig. 1). 

These agricultural basins are one of five areas in the United 

States selected for study as part of the National Water-Quality 

Assessment Program (NAWQA) Agricultural Chemicals: 

Source, Transport, and Fate Study (ACT). These basins are 

located in one of the most productive agricultural areas in the 

United States. As in many agricultural areas, crop production, 

pastures, and animal feeding operations in the Granger Drain 

and DR2 basins have been identified as sources of chemical 

contamination for surface and ground water in the area 

(Morace and McKenzie, 2002). To improve our understanding 

of how agricultural chemicals move through the environment 

and ways to best manage these chemicals, intensive chemical 

studies within the Granger Drain and DR2 basins were begun 

in 2001. Chemical samples were collected from all major 

hydrologic compartments within these basins, including the 

atmosphere, the subsurface unsaturated zone, ground water, 

overland flow, surface water, and the streambed surface-water/

ground-water interface. This report details the environmental 

setting within Granger Drain and DR2 basins. The information 

presented here is intended for scientists and managers working 

in these and similar basins and provides a context in which 

to evaluate current and future work conducted as part of the 

NAWQA program in these basins.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this report is to present an overview of the 

current environmental setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 

basins and identify factors influencing water quality in these 

basins. The environmental factors described here include the 

natural factors of physiography, geology, soils, hydrology, and 

climate, and the cultural factors of population and land use. 

This report largely represents a compilation of the results of 

selected water-quality studies and existing data with respect to 

the environmental factors in these basins. However, some new 

data are presented on land use and pesticide application rates.

Environmental Setting of 

Granger Drain and DR2 Basins

The Granger Drain and DR2 basins are located in south 

central Washington State. The study area is bounded on the 

south by the Yakima River and Snipes Mountain and on the 

north by the Rattlesnake Hills (fig. 1). Granger Drain basin 

includes about 62 mi2, and the DR2 basin, nested within the 

Granger Drain basin, has a drainage area of 2.1 mi2 (fig. 1). 

Because the region lies in the rain shadow east of the Cascade 

Mountains, it receives about 7 in. of precipitation per year 

(Western Regional Climate Center, 2005). The city of Granger, 

a community of about 2,500 people, is in the southwest part 

of the basin. Agriculture is the primary economic activity in 

these basins. The area was selected for this study because 

environmental conditions and agricultural practices are similar 

to other parts of the lower Yakima River basin.

Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and 

DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04

By Karen L. Payne, Henry M. Johnson, and Robert W. Black
WA19-0068_fig01

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Outlook

Granger

Liberty

46°

28'

46°

24'

46°

20'

120°12' 120°6' 120°

Roza Canal

Granger Drain

Outlook Canal (minor)

Sunnyside Canal

DR2 Basin

Granger Drain

Basin

SNIPES MOUNTAIN

R A T T L E S N A K E

H I L L S

Yakima River

YAKIMA VALLEY HIGHWAY

Albers projection, False_Easting: 0.00000000, False_Northing: 0.00000000, Central_Meridian: -119.00000000, 

Standard_Parallel_1: 29.50000000, Standard_Parallel_2: 45.50000000, Latitude_Of_Origin: 23.00000000, Linear Unit: Meter. 

Shaded-relief base from 1:100,000-scale Digital Elevation Model based on the North American Datum of 1983.

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 KILOMETERS

1 2 3 4 MILES

W A S H I N G T O N

Yakima 

River

Basin

Granger Drain 

Basin

EXPLANATION

GRANGER DRAIN BASIN BOUNDARY

DR2 BASIN

Figure 1. Study areas in the Yakima River Basin including the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington.

   Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Physical and Cultural Features

The defining physical and cultural features in Granger 

Drain basin include two major highways, numerous rural 

agricultural roads, a railroad, the city of Granger, one minor 

and two major canals, and dozens of irrigation distribution 

laterals and agricultural drains. Interstate 82 runs east-west 

through Granger Drain basin and effectively divides it, 

resulting in a steep, narrow strip south of the interstate which 

includes Snipes Mountain and a vastly larger northern area, 

which constitutes most of the Granger Drain basin. Parallel 

to and north of the interstate highway is a lightly-traveled 

spur to the main railroad and the Yakima Valley Highway (an 

important local east-west county road), and Granger Drain, an 

agricultural drain providing the only surface-water outlet from 

the basin. Paved and unpaved rural roads are located mostly on 

section and quarter section lines and run north-south and eastwest through the basin. The small community of Outlook is 

located in the southeast corner. The city of Sunnyside is about 

2 mi east of the basin and the city of Zillah is just outside the 

western boundary.

Two large canals cross the Granger Drain basin from 

west to east: the Roza Canal to the north and the Sunnyside 

Canal to the south. Water delivered to farms in the Granger 

Drain basin eventually drains to Granger Drain by surface and 

groundwater flow, which enters the Yakima River downstream 

of the city of Granger.

Physiography and Topography

The Granger Drain basin is bounded on the north by the 

Rattlesnake Hills and the south by Snipes Mountain (fig. 2). 

The eastern and western divides are marked by well defined 

ridges in the uplands and poorly defined, low rises in the 

valley bottom. Excepting the north-facing slope of Snipes 

Mountain, most of the Granger Drain basin slopes to the south. 

The entire basin slopes gently to the southwest. Land surface 

elevation ranges from 740 ft in the valley bottom to 3,020 ft 

along the divide in the Rattlesnake Hills. Maximum elevation 

along Snipes Mountain is 1,300 ft. The Granger Drain basin 

is characterized by generally flat, agricultural land. In the 

cultivated portion of Granger Drain basin, the median land 

slope is 3.1 percent with an interquartile range of 1.8 percent 

to 5.7 percent.

Elevations in the DR2 basin range from 745 ft along DR2 

drain in the south to 850 ft along the Sunnyside Canal in the 

north. Median land slope is 2.3 percent with an interquartile 

range of 1.1 to 4.5 percent. The upper part of the DR2 basin 

is dissected by north-northeast trending ridges. Up-slope, to 

the north-northeast, the ridges grade into the smooth alluvial 

apron in the central part of the basin. Down-slope, to the 

south-southwest, the ridges taper to a rounded point that gently 

slopes down to the valley bottom. The ridges are of modest 

relief, averaging 10–20 ft above the adjacent low lands.

Geology and Stratigraphy

Regionally, the Granger Drain basin lies in the Yakima 

fold belt near the western margin of the Columbia Plateau 

physiographic province. In this area, Miocene-aged basalts 

of the Columbia River Basalt Group have been folded into 

east-west trending synclinal basins and anticlinal ridges. 

Thick deposits of alluvium, fluvial deposits, debris flows, 

and loess have accumulated along the margin of and between 

the rising ridges. These deposits are largely unconsolidated; 

however, beds of moderately to highly indurated material are 

exposed throughout the area. For brevity, further references 

to these deposits in this text will describe them simply as 

“unconsolidated” to contrast them with the underlying basalt 

rock.

Geology of the Granger Drain basin is interpreted from 

1:100,000 scale geologic maps produced by the Washington 

State Department of Natural Resources (Schuster, 1994). 

The Granger Drain basin is in a structural basin bounded 

on the north by the Rattlesnake Hills and on the south by 

Snipes Mountain (fig. 3). Basalts of the Saddle Mountains 

Basalt Formation outcrop on both of these ridges and are 

believed to underlie the unconsolidated surficial deposits in 

the basin. The maximum thickness of the unconsolidated 

sediments is uncertain, but is known to exceed 300 ft based 

on well logs. Interpolation from nearby surficial outcrops 

and wells indicates a likely depth of approximately 650 ft. 

The unconsolidated sediments fall into four broad groups. 

The oldest are assigned to the Ellensburg Formation, 

which in this area are Miocene-age lahars and sands and 

gravels deposited by the ancestral Columbia River, Yakima 

River, and tributaries. Overlying these are Pleistocene to 

Quaternary-aged alluvial fan deposits shed from the rising 

ridges and large areas of loess. These deposits are spatially 

heterogeneous and discontinuous. Blanketing the entire basin 

at an elevation below approximately 1,000 ft is a sequence of 

alternating fine sand and silt deposited by the Late Pleistocene 

Missoula Floods (Bretz, 1930; Waitt, 1984). A thin veneer 

of Quaternary-aged loess overlies the Missoula Flood silts in 

isolated areas.

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins   
WA19-0068_fig02

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82

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Outlook

Granger

Liberty

46°

28'

46°

24'

46°

20'

120°12' 120°6' 120°

Roza Canal

Outlook Canal

Sunnyside Canal

DR2 Basin

Granger Drain

Basin

R A T T L E S N A K E

H I L L S

Granger Drain

SNIPES MOUNTAIN

Albers projection, False_Easting: 0.00000000, False_Northing: 0.00000000, Central_Meridian: -119.00000000, 

Standard_Parallel_1: 29.50000000, Standard_Parallel_2: 45.50000000, Latitude_Of_Origin: 23.00000000, Linear Unit: Meter. 

Shaded-relief base from 1:100,000-scale Digital Elevation Model based on the North American Datum of 1983.

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 KILOMETERS

1 2 3 4 MILES

EXPLANATION

GRANGER DRAIN BASIN 

 BOUNDARY

DR2 BASIN BOUNDARY

HIGH ELEVATION

Range

741 Feet - 3098 Feet

LOW ELEVATION

Figure 2. Physiographic relief of the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington.

   Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
WA19-0068_fig03

I

82

Nass

Outlook

Granger

Liberty

46°

28'

46°

24'

46°

20'

120°12' 120°6' 120°

 Canal

Sunnyside Canal

Outlook Canal

Roza

DR2 Basin

Granger Drain

Basin

Granger Drain

Albers projection, False_Easting: 0.00000000, False_Northing: 0.00000000, Central_Meridian: -119.00000000, 

Standard_Parallel_1: 29.50000000, Standard_Parallel_2: 45.50000000, Latitude_Of_Origin: 23.00000000, Linear Unit: Meter. 

Shaded-relief base from 1:100,000-scale Digital Elevation Model based on the North American Datum of 1983.

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 KILOMETERS

1 2 3 4 MILES

EXPLANATION

GRANGER DRAIN 

 BASIN BOUNDARY

DR2 BASIN BOUNDARY

GEOLOGIC UNIT

Mc(e)

Mcg(e)

Mv(sem)

Mv(sp)

Mv(su)

Qa

Qaf

Qafo

Qfs(t)

Qt

Figure 3. Bedrock geology of the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington (Schuster, 1994). Mc(e) = Miocene 

(middle to upper) – continental sedimentary deposits or rocks; Mcg(e) = Miocene (upper) – continental sedimentary 

deposits or rocks, conglomerate; Mv(sem) = Miocene (upper) – basalt flows (Elephant Mountain Member [CRB, SMB]); 

Mv(sp) = Miocene (late) – basalt flows (Pomona Member [CRB, SMB]); Mv(su) = Miocene (middle) – basalt flows 

(Umatilla Member [CRB, SMB]); Qa = Quaternary – alluvium; Qaf = Quaternary – alluvial fan deposits; Qafo = Quaternary 

– alluvial fan deposits, older; Qfs(t) = Pleistocene – outburst flood deposits, sand and silt, late Wisconsinan; 

Qt = Quaternary – loess. (Source: Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources, 2005.)

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 
Geology of the DR2 basin was determined from nearby 

outcrops, cores collected from wells drilled for this study, 

and well logs from existing wells. As in the Granger Drain 

basin, the Ellensburg Formation underlies the entire DR2 

basin. When encountered in wells constructed for this study, 

the Ellensburg formation is notably coarser than overlying 

material, consisting of medium to coarse sand interbedded 

with thinner layers of silt and gravel. Overlying the Ellensburg 

Formation is the Pleistocene to Quaternary-aged alluvial fan 

and loess material previously described, which occurs as 15 

to 30 ft of geographically heterogeneous clay- to gravel-sized 

material. The upper 10–30 ft are the Late Pleistocene Flood 

Silts. Approximately 25 to 35 flood sequences are present 

in the study area. Sequences are between 10 and 25 in. thick 

and typically contain a 0.25- to 5-in. thick basal deposit of 

silty sand capped by 8–20 in. of clayey silt to very fine sand. 

Observations of nearby exposures indicate the flood deposits 

in the study area likely are dissected by vertical to sub-vertical 

planar clastic dikes.

Soils

Identification of soil types in the Granger Drain and DR2 

basins (fig. 4) were based on field mapping data contained 

within the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database. 

SSURGO is the most detailed level of soil mapping done by 

the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, 2005). The soils found within the 

basin were formed in alluvium, eolian sand, lake sediment, 

loess, and residuum derived from basalt and sandstone. Most 

of the soils are well drained. The soils are sandy to clayey in 

texture and are very shallow (surface to 10 in.) to very deep 

(surface to 60 in.). In irrigated areas, the soils are nearly 

level to strongly sloping and moderately steep to steep in the 

non-irrigated areas.

In the Granger Drain basin, 29 generalized soil series 

are present (fig. 4). Many of these generalized series are 

composed of 2–4 slope-defined phases (table 1). Of the 29 

soil series, 2 represent over 50 percent of the basin. The 

remaining 27 soil series individually account for no more than 

6.89 percent of the basin. The most abundant soil type is the 

Warden silt loam series with 5 slope-defined phases ranging 

from 0 to 30 percent slopes. The most dominant Warden 

phase is the 2 to 5 percent slope phase, which accounts for 

22 percent of the basin. In total, the Warden silt loam series 

accounts for 41 percent of the Granger Drain basin.

Soil series Percentage of 

Granger basin area

Percentage of 

DR2 basin area

Warden 41.00 87.00

Scoon 10.49

Lickskillet 6.89

Starbuck 5.27

Moxee 4.66

Bakeoven 4.64

Esquatzel 3.71 8.00

Sinloc 2.91

Kiona 2.81

Willis 2.25

Burke 2.22

Outlook 2.22 5.00

Harwood 2.07

Ritzville 2.04

Shano1 1.79

Gorst1 1.63

Selah1 .66

Cleman1 .65

Hezel11 .61

Scooteney1 .51

Mikkalo1 .41

Wenas1 .40

Quincy1 .32

Renslow1 .31

Finley1 .29

Ritzville Variant1 .09

Pits1 .08

Prosser1 .02

Wanser1 .02

1

Minor soil series combined into one group in figure 4.

Table 1. Percentage of abundance of soil types within the 

Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington, based on SSURGO.

[Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2005]

 Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Figure 4. Soil types in the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington. Soil types based on SSURGO data (U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, 2005). See table 1 for an explanation of the 15 soil series combined in the “less than 2 percent” group.

WA19-0068_fig04

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82

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Outlook

Granger

Liberty

46°

28'

46°

24'

46°

20'

120°12' 120°6' 120°

Sunnyside Canal

Outlook Canal

DR2 Basin

Granger Drain

Basin

Roza Canal

Granger Drain

Albers projection, False_Easting: 0.00000000, False_Northing: 0.00000000, Central_Meridian: -119.00000000, 

Standard_Parallel_1: 29.50000000, Standard_Parallel_2: 45.50000000, Latitude_Of_Origin: 23.00000000, Linear Unit: Meter. 

Shaded-relief base from 1:100,000-scale Digital Elevation Model based on the North American Datum of 1983.

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 KILOMETERS

1 2 3 4 MILES

EXPLANATION

GRANGER DRAIN 

 BASIN BOUNDARY

DR2 BASIN

SOIL SERIES

Bakeoven

Burke

Esquatzel

Harwood

Kiona

Lickskillet

Moxee

Outlook

Ritzville

Scoon

Sinloc

Starbuck

Warden

Willis

less than 2 percent

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 
In the DR2 basin, 87 percent of the basin is composed 

of the Warden series. The Warden silt loams are very deep, 

well drained soils on terraces. Warden soils were formed in 

lacustrine sediment and have a mantle of loess. Typically, 

the surface layer is a brown silt loam about 5 in. thick and 

the subsoil is a pale brown silt loam about 14 in. thick. The 

substratum extends to a depth of 60 in. or more and is a light 

gray to pale brown stratified silt loam, loam, and very fine 

sandy loam. In some areas the surface layer is fine sandy 

loam. Permeability of the Warden series is moderate and 

available water capacity is high. Runoff for the Warden series 

is slow and the water erosion hazard is slight. The Warden 

series generally is used for irrigated field and orchard crops 

and generally has very few limitations in terms of crops and 

irrigation methods below 8 percent slopes. In irrigated areas 

with slopes greater than 8 percent, runoff and erosion can 

be a problem. A plowpan can develop in this soil, but can be 

broken by chiseling or subsoiling when the soil is dry.

The Esquatzel silt loam accounts for 8 percent of the 

DR2 basin and has two slope-defined phases: 0–2 percent 

and 2–5 percent. The Esquatzel silt loam is a very deep, well 

drained soil usually located on flood plains and is dissected 

by intermittent and perennial streams. Typically, the surface 

layer is a brown silt loam about 17 in. thick. The surface layer 

can be a fine sandy loam, stratified with thin lenses of sandy 

loam or very gravelly loamy sand to a depth of 36 in. or more. 

The surface layer is underlain by a more pale brown silt loam 

to a depth of 60 in. Permeability of this soil is moderate and 

available water capacity is high. Runoff potential for the 

Esquatzel series is low.

The Outlook silt loam accounts for 5 percent of the 

DR2 basin and is a very deep, artificially drained soil usually 

located on flood plains. The Outlook silt loam has a slope of 0 

to 3 percent. Typically, the surface layer is a very dark brown, 

very dark grayish brown and dark grayish brown silt loam 

about 8 in. thick and has a yellowish brown or dark yellowish 

brown mottling. It is strongly alkaline. The subsoil is a grayish 

brown, mottled silt loam about 10 in. thick. The substratum to 

a depth of 60 in. or more is dark brown silt loam. The subsoil 

and substratum are moderately alkaline. Permeability of this 

soil is moderate and available water capacity is high. Runoff 

generally ponds and the hazard of water erosion is slight. 

This soil generally needs to be drained to be agriculturally 

productive.

Land Use and Population

Agriculture

Land use—Major land use activities in the Granger Drain 

and DR2 basins include irrigated agriculture, dairies, grazing 

on non-irrigated land, and limited urbanization (fig. 5). Based 

on field mapping conducted by U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) in 2003 and 2004 (table 2), the major crops within 

the Granger Drain basin consisted of alfalfa and other hays, 

asparagus, corn, hops, mint, pasture, juice grapes, wine grapes, 

and apple, pear, and cherry orchards. The DR2 basin contains 

a less diverse mixture of crops with most agricultural land 

dedicated to the production of corn, juice grapes, and pasture. 

Numerous dairies varying in size from a few hundred dairy 

cows to more than a thousand dairy cows operate within the 

Granger Drain and DR2 basins (Washington State Department 

of Ecology, 2005). The dairy industry substantially influences 

the crops grown in the basin as dairies require enormous 

amounts of corn and alfalfa for feed.

Crop maps were obtained for the 1992 growing season 

and some significant shifts in cropping patterns were noted 

in comparing the 1992 to the 2003-2004 data sets. In the 

Granger Drain basin, the largest change in crop type was a 24 

percent increase in grapes and orchards. The increase in grape 

and orchard acreage was largely at the expense of asparagus, 

hops, and mint, which decreased 21 percent over the same 

period. Although it cannot be discerned from the 1992 data, 

large amounts of wine grapes and cherries also were planted 

in the decade between crop maps. In the DR2 basin, notable 

decreases in acreages of asparagus, hops and mint (26 percent) 

occurred between 1992 and 2003, although corn increased 

by 17 percent. Between 2003 and 2004, changes in crop type 

were much smaller. Both asparagus and squash decreased by 

3.8 and 2.2 percent, respectively, while corn increased by 7.7 

percent. The dairy and beef industries expanded rapidly in the 

past decade, resulting in an 83 percent increase in the number 

of dairy animals in the watershed from 1989 to 2000 (20,000 

to 36,500) (Bohn, 2001). Most animals are maintained in 

confined lots or small pastures and do not range freely.

 Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Figure 5.  Land cover in the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington.

WA19-0068_fig05

I

82

Nass

Outlook

Granger

Liberty

46°

28'

46°

24'

46°

20'

120°12' 120°6' 120°

 Canal

Sunnyside Canal

Outlook Canal

Roza

DR2 Basin

Granger Drain

Basin

Granger Drain

Albers projection, False_Easting: 0.00000000, False_Northing: 0.00000000, Central_Meridian: -119.00000000, 

Standard_Parallel_1: 29.50000000, Standard_Parallel_2: 45.50000000, Latitude_Of_Origin: 23.00000000, Linear Unit: Meter. 

Shaded-relief base from 1:100,000-scale Digital Elevation Model based on the North American Datum of 1983.

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 KILOMETERS

1 2 3 4 MILES

EXPLANATION

GRANGER DRAIN 

 BASIN BOUNDARY

DR2 BASIN BOUNDARY

Water

Urban (includes paved areas)

Barren land

Forest land

Shrubland

Orchard

Grassland

Agricultural land

Wetland

LAND USE

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 
Table 2. Summary of crop and irrigation types in the Granger Drain and DR2 basins, Washington, calendar years 1992, 2003, and 2004.

[Percentage data from South Yakima Conservation District 1992 (Bohn, 2001). Percentages are based on agricultural land and do not include the area of drains, right of ways, and infrastructure. –, not available]

Crop type

Granger Drain basin (39,536 acres) DR2 basin (1,359 acres)

1992 2003 1992 2003 2004

Area Percentage of total area Area Percentage of total area Area Percentage of total area Area Percentage of total area Area Percentage of total area

Corn 5,782.7 18.95 8,805.5 22.27 248.8 18.21 473.3 34.83 577.4 42.49

Grapes (wine and juice)1 – – 3,300.6 8.35 – – 223.0 16.41 230.8 16.98

Pasture 4,666.1 15.29 2,824.8 7.14 157.1 11.50 177.7 13.08 153.8 11.32

Asparagus2 7,928.8 25.98 952.1 2.41 499.5 36.55 146.5 10.78 94.8 6.97

Alfalfa 4,666.1 15.29 3,377.0 8.54 157.1 11.50 28.9 2.13 42.6 3.14

Dairy/Feedlot (includes manure management) 1,311.0 4.30 1,434.2 3.63 45.7 3.35 35.6 2.62 36.0 2.65

Grass 0 0 566.3 1.43 0 0 21.9 1.61 23.2 1.71

Fallow 1,680.6 5.51 2,475.7 6.26 56.3 4.12 23.1 1.70 20.5 1.51

Peas 0 0 33.5 .08 .0 0 0 0 12.6 .93

Leaks 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 5.3 .39

Orchard1 3,709.9 12.16 11,008.1 27.84 168.8 12.36 0 0 0 0

Small grain 0 0 847.4 2.14 0 0 0 0 0 0

Hops2 – – 576.6 1.46 – – 0 0 0 0

Hay 0 0 503.5 1.27 0 0 16.0 1.18 0 0

Seeded 0 0 428.0 1.08 0 0 0 0 0 0

Mint2 – – 367.7 .93 – – 0 0 0 0

Nursery 0 0 230.3 .58 0 0 7.2 .53 0 0

Squash 0 0 182.2 .46 0 0 37.0 2.72 0 0

Dry beans 0 0 53.9 .14 0 0 0 0 0 0

Carrots 0 0 51.8 .13 0 0 0 0 0 0

Silage 0 0 23.8 .06 0 0 0 0 0 0

Onion 0 0 18.7 .05 0 0 0 0 0 0

Flowers, berries, melon 770.6 2.53 0 0 33.4 2.45 0 0 0 0

Wetland 0 0 0 0 0 0 40.7 2.99 41.1 3.02

Drains, rights of way, infrastructure (for example: 

houses, golf course)

– – 1,474.4 3.73 – – 128.2 9.43 120.9 8.89

Irrigation methodsSprinkler 7,599.3 24.90 222.0 56.14 204.0 14.93 196.8 14.48 254.1 18.70

Rill 17,505.0 57.36 94.7 23.94 951.4 69.63 924.2 68.00 884.7 65.10

Na 0 0 33.4 8.45 0 0 188.9 13.90 189.1 13.91

None 5,411.4 17.73 28.0 7.09 211.0 15.44 48.9 3.60 31.3 2.30

Drip 0 0 17.3 4.38 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 1992 data values for orchard crop type include grapes.

2 1992 data values for asparagus crop type also include hops and mint.

10 Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Chemical use—Agricultural chemical use within the 

Granger Drain and DR2 basins is difficult to determine 

because the state of Washington has no public record of 

how much agricultural chemicals are used on specific fields. 

Estimates of agricultural chemical applications were derived 

from county-level data compiled by the National Agricultural 

Statistics Service (NASS) Agricultural Chemical Use 

Database for the state of Washington (National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, 2005). After compiling chemical use for 

each crop type found within the Granger Drain basin, private 

and university agricultural extension crop consultants in 

the Yakima River basin reviewed and updated the chemical 

list and application rates. The data were reviewed one last 

time by crop and pesticide-use scientists at the Washington 

State Department of Agriculture. The list of potential 

pesticides and application rates in the DR2 basin is provided 

in table 3. It should be noted that this table contains a list 

of potentially used compounds and likely application rates. 

Given the limits of the data and this method, there is no way 

to know whether any particular field was treated or even if 

the pesticide was applied in the DR2 basin. Confidence can 

be gained in aggregated, basin-wide application estimates 

for a given chemical if (1) the crop is common in the basin, 

(2) the crop is grown by multiple farmers, and (3) the NASSreported percentage of crop treated is high, for example, 

terbacil is applied to 70 percent of the mint in Yakima County. 

An additional degree of confidence was obtained if the 

chemical has been detected in recent water-quality data from 

Granger Drain and (or) DR2 basins. With varying degrees 

of confidence, the most abundantly applied fungicides in the 

DR2 basin in 2004 were sulfur, fenarimol, triflumizole, and 

myclobutanil; the most abundantly applied herbicides were 

EPTC, glyphosate, acetochlor, and metolachlor (all of which 

are commonly used on corn); and the most abundantly applied 

insecticides were petroleum distillates, disulfoton, chlorpyrifos 

and carbaryl.

As was the case with pesticide application information, 

detailed information about fertilizer applications in Granger 

Drain and DR2 basins does not exist. University extension 

publications (Washington State University, 1999) provide the 

best estimate of application rates for nitrogen, phosphorus, 

potassium, sulfur, and various micronutrients. Estimates are 

typically expressed as a range due to variations in natural soil 

fertility. In this part of the Yakima Valley, however, liquid and 

solid manure from local dairy operations is commonly used as 

a primary or supplemental source of nitrogen and phosphorus, 

particularly on fields planted in corn and the various types of 

grass hay used for cow feed, for example, matua, triticale, and 

sudan grass. Lagoon liquid, fresh solid, and composted solid 

manures vary widely in the ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus 

and in the forms of nitrogen. When used, manure is typically 

supplemented with a commercial fertilizer to achieve the 

desired nitrogen – phosphorus – potassium ratio, as well as 

any desired micronutrients.

USGS studies in the late 1980s demonstrated that 

Granger Drain was a source of nutrients and pesticides to 

the Yakima River (Rinella and others, 1999). Additional 

work in the late 1990s characterized the intra-annual 

variability of agricultural contaminants in Granger Drain 

and noted substantial decreases in suspended sediment and 

dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and DDT metabolites 

compared to samples collected a decade earlier (Ebbert and 

Embrey, 2002; Ebbert and others, 2003; Fuhrer and others, 

2004). Numerous agricultural chemicals and transformation 

products were identified in water samples collected from 

Granger Drain and DR2 basins in 1999 and 2000 (Ebbert and 

Embrey, 2002; Ebbert and others, 2003). During the 1999 and 

2000 sampling, concentrations of total phosphorus ranged 

from 0.15 to 1.1 mg/L, with highest concentrations occurring 

during the irrigation season and typically associated with 

high concentrations of suspended sediment. Concentrations 

of dissolved nitrate ranged between 2 and 4 mg/L during 

the irrigation season and increased to about 6 mg/L after the 

irrigation season. Insecticides and herbicides and breakdown 

products detected in Granger Drain and DR2 basins, in order 

of detection frequency included: atrazine (100 percent), 

carbaryl (100 percent), deethylatrazine (100 percent), 

p,p’-DDE (96 percent), trifluralin (88 percent), simazine 

(83 percent), azinphos-methyl (79 percent), acetochlor 

(54 percent), terbacil (54 percent), malathion (38 percent), 

diazinon (25 percent), tebuthiuron (8 percent), cyanazine 

(4 percent), dieldrin (4 percent), and metolachlor (4 percent) 

(Ebbert and Embrey, 2002; Ebbert and others, 2003).

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 11
Table 3. Summary of potential pesticide use in the DR2 basin, Washington, during calendar years 2003 and 2004.

[–, not available. Compound detected: Y, yes; N, no]

Chemical Type

Estimated area 

applied (average 

2003–2004, acres)

Estimated percentage 

of basin applied 

(2003–2004)

Estimated pounds 

applied 

(average 2003–2004)

Estimated 

percentage of pounds 

applied 

(2004)

Crops (order reflects 

application rates 

based on pounds)

Compound 

detected 

2003–2004

Petroleum distillate Insecticide 34.03 2.5 667.05 9.7 Grape –Fonofos Insecticide 129.20 9.5 195.56 2.8 Potato, asparagus, corn

Y

Disulfoton Insecticide 60.31 4.4 180.94 2.6 Asparagus

N

Chlorpyrifos Insecticide 86.92 6.4 107.80 1.6 Corn, grape, grass

Y

Carbaryl Insecticide 68.55 5.0 71.79 1.0 Asparagus, grape, squash

Y

cis-Permethrin Insecticide 129.20 9.5 67.15 1.0 Corn, apple, asparagus

Y

Malathion Insecticide 34.09 2.5 66.48 1.0 Asparagus, hay, squash

Y

Permethrin Insecticide 117.99 8.7 65.00 .9 Corn, asparagus, squash –Methomyl Insecticide 56.23 4.1 39.92 .6 Corn, squash

Y

Terbufos Insecticide 31.52 2.3 35.94 .5 Corn

Y

Esfenvalerate Insecticide 189.03 13.9 20.69 .3 Corn, pea, squash –Carbofuran Insecticide 9.75 .7 11.95 .2 Corn, squash, hay

Y

Endosulfan Insecticide 3.70 .3 7.57 .1 Apple, squash –

Methoxychlor Insecticide 3.70 .3 4.62 .1 Apple, grape

Y

Bifenthrin Insecticide 45.73 3.4 4.54 .1 Corn, squash –Phorate Insecticide 5.25 .4 4.10 .1 Corn

Y

Azinphos Methyl Insecticide 3.70 .3 3.70 .1 Apple, squash

Y

Oxamyl Insecticide 3.70 .3 3.52 .1 Apple, onions

N

Dimethoate Insecticide 10.78 .8 3.18 .0 Hay, pea, squash –Ethoprophos Insecticide 1.26 .1 2.88 .0 Potato, bean

Y

Tefluthrin Insecticide 26.27 1.9 2.63 .0 Corn –Diazinon Insecticide 4.26 .3 2.29 .0 Peas, squash

Y

Methyl parathion Insecticide 6.69 .5 3.42 .0 Corn, apple, pea, bean, alfalfa

Y

Chlorethoxyfos Insecticide 5.25 .4 .74 .0 Corn –Imidacloprid Insecticide 22.69 1.7 .46 .0 Grape –Cyfluthrin Insecticide 15.76 1.2 .09 .0 Corn –BT Insecticide .00 .0 .00 .0 Squash

N

Dieldrin Insecticide – – – – Canceled

Y

Dinoseb Insecticide – – – – Canceled

Y

Glyphosate Herbicide 390.70 28.7 1,022.66 14.9 Grape, corn, asparagus, rights of 

way, ditch, canal, pea, squash

–

12 Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Chemical Type

Estimated area 

applied (average 

2003–2004, acres)

Estimated percentage 

of basin applied 

(2003–2004)

Estimated pounds 

applied 

(average 2003–2004)

Estimated 

percentage of pounds 

applied 

(2004)

Crops (order reflects 

application rates 

based on pounds)

Compound 

detected 

2003–2004

Metam sodium Herbicide, 

Fungicide

3.70 0.3 569.73 8.3 Squash –

Diuron Herbicide 152.08 11.2 429.48 6.3 Asparagus, grape, alfalfa, rights of 

way, ditches, canal

Y

EPTC Herbicide 134.92 9.9 419.58 6.1 Corn, alfalfa Y

Bromacil Herbicide 74.71 5.5 398.44 5.8 Rights of way, ditch, canal Y

2,4 D Herbicide 261.73 19.3 324.10 4.7 Corn, pasture, asparagus, alfalfa, 

rights of way, ditch, canal, grass, squash

Y

Acetochlor Herbicide 131.35 9.7 242.99 3.5 Corn Y

Metolachlor Herbicide 152.36 11.2 228.54 3.3 Corn N

Dicamba Herbicide 79.53 5.9 201.52 2.9 Rights of way, ditch, canal, 

asparagus

Y

Alachlor Herbicide 105.08 7.7 157.62 2.3 Corn Y

Norflurazon Herbicide 62.75 4.6 98.70 1.4 Grape, asparagus N

Atrazine Herbicide 79.75 5.9 95.65 1.4 Corn, pasture, grass Y

Oryzalin Herbicide 34.03 2.5 89.85 1.3 Grape N

Simazine Herbicide 58.16 4.3 63.71 .9 Asparagus, grape, apple Y

Dimethenamid Herbicide 78.81 5.8 63.05 .9 Corn -Trifluralin Herbicide 52.58 3.9 59.49 .9 Asparagus, pea, squash Y

Metribuzin Herbicide 39.41 2.9 51.08 .7 Asparagus, corn, hay Y

Bentazon Herbicide 66.71 4.9 50.47 .7 Corn, pea N

Cyanazine Herbicide 63.05 4.6 50.44 .7 Corn N

Paraquat Herbicide 62.14 4.6 45.12 .7 Grape, asparagus, corn, alfalfa, 

squash

–

Linuron Herbicide 36.19 2.7 32.21 .5 Asparagus N

Bromoxynil Herbicide 112.23 8.3 31.23 .5 Corn, alfalfa Y

Oxyfluorfen Herbicide 45.38 3.3 30.86 .4 Grape –

DCPA Herbicide 3.70 0.3 28.88 .4 Squash, onions Y

Sulfometuron Herbicide 49.81 3.7 10.89 .2 Rights of way, ditch, canal –

Hexazinone Herbicide 14.31 1.1 8.59 .1 Alfalfa –

Triclopyr Herbicide 24.90 1.8 7.47 .1 Rights of way, ditch, canal N

Terbacil Herbicide 1.79 .1 4.29 .1 Alfalfa N

Picloram Herbicide 28.82 2.1 3.75 .1 Grass, pasture, rights of way, 

ditch, canal

N

Clomazone Herbicide 3.73 .3 3.15 .0 Squash, pea –

Table 3. Summary of potential pesticide use in the DR2 basin, Washington, during calendar years 2003 and 2004.—Continued[–, not available. Compound detected: Y, yes; N, no]

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 13
Chemical Type

Estimated area 

applied (average 

2003–2004, acres)

Estimated percentage 

of basin applied 

(2003–2004)

Estimated pounds 

applied 

(average 2003–2004)

Estimated 

percentage of pounds 

applied 

(2004)

Crops (order reflects 

application rates 

based on pounds)

Compound 

detected 

2003–2004

S-metolachlo Herbicide 1.26 0.1 1.89 0.0 Pea –

Sethoxydim Herbicide 4.90 .4 1.75 .0 Alfalfa, squash, pea –

Triallate Herbicide .95 .1 .95 .0 Pea –

Pendimethalin Herbicide .95 .1 .62 .0 Pea

Y

MCPA Herbicide 2.21 .2 .53 .0 Pea

N

Ethephon Herbicide 3.70 .3 .39 .0 Squash –

Imazethapyr Herbicide 2.10 .2 .08 .0 Pea, alfalfa –

Quizalofop-ethyl Herbicide .76 .1 .05 .0 Pea –

Benfluralin Herbicide – – – – Apples, grapes, alfalfa

Y

Ethalfluralin Herbicide – – – – Squash

Y

Prometon Herbicide – – – – Rights of way

Y

Propyzamide Herbicide – – – – Alfalfa, right of ways

Y

Tebuthiuron Herbicide – – – – Non-agricultural soil sterilizer

Y

Sulfur Fungicide 52.17 3.8 346.12 5.0 Grape, pea, squash –Mancozeb Fungicide 3.70 .3 34.49 .5 Squash –Copper Sulfate Fungicide 28.42 2.1 30.80 .4 Rights of way, ditches, canal –Chlorothalonil Fungicide 3.70 .3 29.03 .4 Squash

N

Fenarimol Fungicide 79.41 5.8 4.82 .1 Grape –Triflumizole Fungicide 22.69 1.7 4.31 .1 Grape –Myclobutanil Fungicide 18.15 1.3 3.81 .1 Grape –Benomyl Fungicide 3.70 .3 2.54 .0 Squash –Metalaxyl Fungicide 3.70 .3 1.71 .0 Squash –Triadimefon Fungicide 3.70 .3 .43 .0 Squash –2,6-Diethylaniline – – – – – Alachlor breakdown product

Y

Deethylatrazine – – – – – Atrazine breakdown product

Y

Alpha-HCH Insecticide – – – – Lindane breakdown product

Y

Table 3. Summary of potential pesticide use in the DR2 basin, Washington, during calendar years 2003 and 2004.—Continued[–, not available. Compound detected: Y, yes; N, no]

14 Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Urban

Population in the Granger Drain basin is concentrated 

in the southern and southwestern areas with approximately 

68 people per square kilometer (fig. 6). The DR2 basin has 

a population density ranging from 11 to approximately 40 

people per square kilometer (fig. 6). The southeastern part of 

the basin has a population density of approximately 40 people 

per square kilometer, and the remaining central and northern 

parts of the basins contain less than 30 people per square 

kilometer. In the town of Granger, the only urbanized area in 

the Granger Drain basin, population increased by nearly 500 

people in the past decade and reached 2,500 people in 2000 

(fig. 7). The rest of the population resides in rural areas.

I

82

Nass

Outlook

Granger

Liberty

46°

28'

46°

24'

46°

20'

120°12' 120°6' 120°

DR2 Basin

Granger Drain

Basin

 Canal

Sunnyside Canal

Outlook Canal

Roza

Granger Drain

Albers projection, False_Easting: 0.00000000, False_Northing: 0.00000000, Central_Meridian: -119.00000000, 

Standard_Parallel_1: 29.50000000, Standard_Parallel_2: 45.50000000, Latitude_Of_Origin: 23.00000000, Linear Unit: Meter. 

Shaded-relief base from 1:100,000-scale Digital Elevation Model based on the North American Datum of 1983.

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 KILOMETERS

1 2 3 4 MILES

EXPLANATION

GRANGER DRAIN BASIN 

 BOUNDARY

DR2 BASIN BOUNDARY

PEOPLE PER 

 SQUARE KILOMETER

6.3

11.0

27.3

39.7

57.6

68.1

Figure 6. Population density in the Granger Drain basin, Washington (U.S. Geological Survey, 2005).

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 15
Climate

The climate of the Granger Drain basin is characterized 

by hot, dry summers and cold winters with limited snow 

and rain. The nearest long-term weather station is located 

10.75 mi east of the city of Granger at the Sunnyside airport. 

This site is part of the Western Regional Climate Center 

network of weather stations that are funded and administered 

by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA). Data for this station is available 

online at http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?wasunn

(accessed December 7, 2005) (fig. 8). For the period of record, 

1948-2004, the average minimum temperature was 39.4°F 

and the average maximum temperature was 65.5°F (fig. 8). 

The warmest months are July and August with average 

monthly high temperatures of 89.7 and 88.5°F, respectively, 

and average monthly lows of 55.8 and 54.2°F, respectively. 

The coldest months are December and January with average 

monthly high temperatures of 40.6 and 39.6°F, respectively, 

Figure 7. Population change from 1968 to 2002 in Granger, Washington (Washington State Office of Financial 

Management, 2005).

wa19-0068_fig07

POPULATION CHANGES IN GRANGER, WASHINGTON, 1968-2002

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

POPULATION

1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

and average monthly lows of 25.9 and 23.9°F, respectively. 

Mean temperatures for most months during 2004 were slightly 

higher than temperatures during the past 56 years.

For 1948–2004, the average annual precipitation was 

7.27 in. (fig. 9A). More than 50 percent of precipitation 

occurs between November and March (fig. 9B). Snowfall 

is common in December and January and averaged 9.85 in. 

per year over the period of record. July and August usually 

are the driest months, and the area typically receives less 

than 0.25 in. of rain per month during those months. It is 

not unusual for several weeks to pass in the summer without 

a trace of precipitation. The driest year during the 56-year 

period was in 1999 when a scant 1.33 in. of precipitation fell 

at the Sunnyside weather station. The wettest year was in 1995 

when 12.92 in. of precipitation were recorded. In 2004, June 

and August were unusually wet and received nearly 1.5 in. 

each month. January, February, and October were slightly 

wetter than normal, while November was atypically dry. Total 

precipitation for 2004 was 8.7 in., nearly 1.5 in. greater than 

normal.

16  Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
development, there was a rapid rise in the water table by 1906. 

This, compounded by an underdeveloped drain system, had 

rendered large tracts of land in the lower elevations of Granger 

Drain basin unsuitable for agriculture by turning the area into 

seasonal wetlands or concentrating alkali in the soils (United 

States Reclamation Service, 1912). To prevent further loss of 

agricultural land and in an attempt to return damaged areas to 

production, the Bureau of Reclamation constructed Granger 

Drain and connected, deepened, and widened major tributary 

drains, including DR2. Further agricultural development was 

made possible by the construction of Roza Canal from 1941 

to 1950. The modern surface-water and shallow ground-water 

systems are entirely a result of irrigated agriculture.

Hydrology

Prior to agricultural development in 1893, Granger 

Drain basin was covered with “sagebrush and smaller desert 

shrubs” like other low-lying areas of the lower Yakima 

River Valley (Waring, 1913). Historical documents provide 

no indication of flowing or standing water in the Granger 

area. Mapped ephemeral streams in the Granger Drain basin 

terminate near what is now the Roza canal. Referencing soil 

maps published in 1901, Waring (1913) reported that “alkali 

was present in objectionable amounts at the surface in only 

a few places.” Depth to water near Sunnyside in the 1890s 

exceeded 40 ft. With the construction of Sunnyside Canal 

from 1890 to 1907 and the resultant expanding agricultural 

Figure 8.  Long-term and 2004 average daily temperatures, by month, in the Granger Drain basin study area, 

Washington.

wa19-0068_fig08

LONG-TERM AND 2004 AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURES BY MONTH

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

TEMPERATURE,IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT

JAN FEB MAR APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

Average Maximum Temperature,

1948-2004

Average Minimum Temperature,

1948-2004

Average Mean Temperature,

1948-2004

Average Mean Temperature,

2004

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 17
Figure 9. Annual precipitation from 1948–2004 measured adjacent to the Granger Drain basin study area 

and mean monthly precipitation from 1948–2004 and monthly precipitation for 2004 measured adjacent to the 

Granger Drain basin study area in Sunnyside, Washington. Data collected in the town of Sunnyside, Wash., 

located along the southeastern boundary of the Granger Drain basin watershed.

wa19-0068_fig09A

ANNUAL PRECIPITATION AT SUNNYSIDE, WASHINGTON, 1948-2004 (INCHES PER YEAR)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1948

1950

1952

1954

19561958

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

197019721974

1976

1978

198019821984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

19982000

20022004

PRECIPITATION, IN INCHES

Average

A.

MONTHLY PRECIPITATION, 1949-2004

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

MEAN PRECIPITATION, IN INCHES

JAN FEB MAR APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

B. MEAN 1948-2004

2004

18  Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Surface Water

Canals and delivery laterals operated by the Roza 

Irrigation District (RID) and Sunnyside Valley Irrigation 

District (SVID) as part of the Bureau of Reclamation Yakima 

Project serve irrigated land in the Granger Drain and DR2 

basins (fig. 10). In a typical year, irrigation water is available 

to the farmers around March 15 and becomes unavailable 

around October 15. Unusually drier or wetter weather may 

affect the start and end dates of the irrigation season. Jointly, 

the Roza and Sunnyside Canals convey between 2,000 and 

2,500 ft3

/s during the height of the irrigation season. An 

estimated 20 to 25 percent of this water is delivered to farmers 

Figure 10. Locations of streams, canals, and gaging stations in the Granger Drain basin study area, Washington.

I

82

Nass

Outlook

Granger

Liberty

46°

28'

46°

24'

46°

20'

120°12' 120°6' 120°

Sunnyside Canal

Outlook Canal

Roza Canal

DR2 Basin

Granger Drain

Basin

Granger Drain

Albers projection, False_Easting: 0.00000000, False_Northing: 0.00000000, Central_Meridian: -119.00000000, 

Standard_Parallel_1: 29.50000000, Standard_Parallel_2: 45.50000000, Latitude_Of_Origin: 23.00000000, Linear Unit: Meter. 

Shaded-relief base from 1:100,000-scale Digital Elevation Model based on the North American Datum of 1983.

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 KILOMETERS

1 2 3 4 MILES

EXPLANATION

GRANGER DRAIN BASIN 

 BOUNDARY

DR2 BASIN BOUNDARY

USGS SURFACE WATER 

 STREAMFLOW GAGING 

 STATION AND NUMBER

12505450

462023120075200

12505450

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 19
in Granger Drain basin. On average, each farmer takes delivery 

of 3–4 acre feet per acre of cultivated land per growing season. 

A network estimated at 13.8 mi of surface drains and 26.9 mi 

of subsurface drains conveys used irrigation water and end-ofsystem “spill” resulting from normal irrigation water delivery 

operations to Granger Drain and back to the Yakima River 

(Morace and others, 1999; Bohn, 2001).

The main stem of Granger Drain runs parallel to 

Interstate 82 and Yakima Valley Highway. It begins onequarter mile west of the community of Outlook and extends 

westward to the city of Granger. In Granger, the drain turns 

southwest, passes through the town, and discharges into 

the Yakima River. Five significant drains enter Granger 

Drain from the north. Among these is the DR2 drain that 

joins Granger Drain approximately halfway between the 

communities of Granger and Outlook. Granger Drain and the 

lower reaches of these five tributary drains intercept the water 

table and, as a result, flow year-round.

Discharge data for the Granger Drain is collected at a 

stream gaging station located near the western city limits of 

Granger. For the period of record (2000–03), total annual 

discharge from Granger Drain ranged from 9,310 to 14,700 ft3, 

with a mean of 12,300 ft3 (fig. 11). Flow in Granger Drain is 

higher during the summer irrigation season and lower during 

the winter non-irrigation season (fig. 12). During the irrigation 

season, monthly average flows in the Granger Drain ranged 

between 34 and 52 ft3/s. Streamflows during the non-irrigation 

season dropped to monthly average flows between 18.2 and 

20.7 ft3/s. Daily mean streamflow exceeded 64 ft3/s only 5 

percent of the time and was greater than 16 ft3/s at least 95 

percent of the time (table 4).

Discharge data for the DR2 Drain were collected from 

a gaging station located about 400 feet upstream from the 

confluence with Granger Drain. Daily mean flows within 

the DR2 Drain ranged between 2.6 to 10 ft3/s with a mean of 

5 ft3/s (fig. 12). As in the Granger Drain, flows within the DR2 

Drain were higher during the summer irrigation and lower 

during the winter non-irrigation season. Monthly average 

flows during the irrigation season ranged from 4.3 to 7.6 ft3/s, 

while non-irrigation season flows ranged between 2.7 and 

4 ft3/s. Daily mean streamflow exceeded 8 ft3/s only 5 percent 

of the time and was greater than 2.7 ft3/s at least 95 percent of 

the time (table 4).

9,000

2000 2001 2002 2003

10,000

11,000

12,000

13,000

Mean (2000-2003)

14,000

15,000

ANNUAL TOTAL DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET

Figure 11. Annual total discharge measured during 2000 to 2003 at the Granger Drain (12505450) gaging 

station, Washington.

20 Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Figure 12. Daily mean and monthly average discharge during 2003 to 2004 for the Granger Drain (12505450) 

and DR2 basin (462023120075200) gaging stations, Washington.

wa19-0068_fig12

DR2 DAILY MEAN DISCHARGE

DR2 MONTHLY AVERAGE DISCHARGE

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

GRANGER DRAIN DAILY 

 MEAN DISCHARGE

GRANGER DRAIN MONTHLY 

 AVERAGE DISCHARGE

3/5/2003 7/26/2003

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

12/17/2003 5/9/2004 9/30/2004

DATE

0

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

11

Table 4. Summary of daily mean streamflow characteristics at the Granger Drain and DR2 gaging stations, Washington, during water 

years 2003–2004.

Gaging station 

name and No.

Percentage of time that daily mean streamflow was greater than or equal to value shown, in cubic feet per second

95 90 75 50 25 10 5 1

Granger Drain 

(12505450)

16 18 21 34 51 60 64 72

DR2 

(462023120075200)

2.7 2.9 3.35 4.8 6.4 7.6 8 9

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 21
Ground Water

The ground-water system in the Granger Drain basin 

consists of a surficial unconfined to semi-confined aquifer 

composed of the unconsolidated surficial deposits described 

in the Geology and Stratigraphy section of this report. 

This aquifer is bounded on the bottom, north, and south by 

basalts of the Columbia River Basalt Group. Basalt aquifers 

underlying the surficial aquifer are believed to be isolated 

from the surficial aquifer and stream systems. A dramatic drop 

in head between deep wells in surficial deposits and the basalt 

reinforce this conceptual model. The remaining discussion 

focuses on the surficial aquifer.

Recharge to the surficial aquifer is largely the result 

of applied irrigation water, with a much smaller amount 

resulting from winter precipitation (Vaccaro and Olsen 2007), 

Ground-water movement is generally from the Rattlesnake 

Hills in the north toward the Yakima River in the south based 

on water levels observed in wells within and adjacent to 

the basin (fig. 13). Flow to the Yakima River is blocked by 

Snipes Mountain. Deep water in the surficial aquifer probably 

circumvents the obstruction to the east near Sunnyside and to 

the west near Granger based on local geology (fig. 14).

DISTANCE FROM DR2, IN MILES

-1.2 0 1.2 2.5 3.7 5.0 6.2 7.4 0

328

656

984

1,312

1,640

1,967

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE NATIONAL VERTICAL DATUM OF 1988

SW NE

Upper extent

of agricultural

activities

WATER SURFACE OF YAKIMA RIVER

CONCEPTUAL CROSS-SECTION OF THE GRANGER DRAIN BASIN

Sunnyside Canal

DR2 Drain

Snipes Mountain

Rattlesnake

Hills

Roza Canal

Yakima

River

APPROXIMATE LOWER EXTENT OF

ALLUVIAL AQUIFER

ALLUVIAL AND SEDIMENTS COLLUVIAL

BOTTOM OF TOUCHET BEDS

BOTTOM OF ALLUVIAL AQUIFER

SPRING WATER TABLE

WATER SURFACE OF YAKIMA RIVER

WELL

SCREEN

Figure 13. Conceptual cross section of the Granger Drain basin, Washington.

22 Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Figure 14. Conceptualized ground-water flow system for the Granger Drain basin, Washington.

wa19-0068_fig14

Roza

Canal

Cana l

Outlook

Canal

N O F L O W T H R O U G H S N I P E S M O U N T A I N

Yakima

Yakima

River

River

Sunnyside

Toppenish Creek

Albers projection, False_Easting: 0.00000000, False_Northing: 0.00000000, Central_Meridian: -119.00000000, 

Standard_Parallel_1: 29.50000000, Standard_Parallel_2: 45.50000000, Latitude_Of_Origin: 23.00000000, Linear Unit: Meter. 

Shaded-relief base from 1:100,000-scale Digital Elevation Model based on the North American Datum of 1983.

Granger

Sunnyside

120°

46°

20’

46°

10’

120°10’

0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 KILOMETERS

1 2 3 4 MILES

EXPLANATION

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MONITORING WELLS

DR2 DRAINAGE BASIN

SURFICIAL GEOLOGY

GENERALIZED DIRECTION OF GROUND-WATER FLOW

Saddle Mountain Basalt, Pamona member

Saddle Mountain Basalt, Elephant Mountain member

Ellensberg Formation, sedimentary interbeds

Alluvium 

Touchet beds 

Loess 

Environmental Setting of Granger Drain and DR2 Basins 23
Since the onset of irrigation in the 1890s, the water 

table in the Granger Drain basin has risen and in the lower 

elevations is within inches of the land surface. The magnitude 

of the rise remains uncertain, but is likely at least 40 ft based 

on water levels recorded near Sunnyside during the early 

period of development (Waring, 1913). An extensive artificial 

drainage network developed to control the water table and 

prevent alkali accumulation and water logged soils. The 

configuration of the water table is now strongly controlled by 

the elevations of tile drains and the streambed elevations along 

Granger Drain and major tributaries.

Within the DR2 subbasin, excess irrigation water that 

is not taken up by evapotranspiration infiltrates downward 

through a 5- to 25-ft thick unsaturated zone in the northern 

part of the DR2 subbasin. Once the water reaches the water 

table it moves laterally from north to south in a direction 

roughly parallel to the surface-water-drainage network. 

Upward vertical hydraulic gradients in the lower parts of the 

DR2 subbasin provide ground-water seepage that supply the 

DR2 and Granger Drains with base flow. The presence of 

Snipes Mountain to the south probably forces deeper groundwater moving from north to south to upwell near Granger 

Drain.

Superimposed on the north-south oriented system just 

described is a series of short, local, east-west trending flow 

systems. These originate along the crests and flanks of the 

north-south trending ridges that dissect the northern part of the 

DR2 basin. Ground water moves obliquely to the south down 

the sides of these ridges until it encounters the regional water 

table or an agricultural drain.

Floods and Droughts

In the Granger Drain basin, local climate, including 

extremes, has relatively little effect on the hydrology and 

agricultural activities in the area. The greatest effect on 

the local hydrology and farming community comes from 

the accumulation of snow pack in the Cascade Mountains. 

Extended deficiencies of snow pack result in water shortages 

and crop failures in the Granger Drain basin. A significant 

drought in 1977 prompted many farmers to reevaluate the 

types of crops being grown and the methods being used for 

irrigation (Fuhrer and others, 2004). More recently, 1992–94, 

2001, and 2004 were notable for significant shortages of 

irrigation water.

Summary

This report describes the environmental setting of the 

Granger Drain and DR2 basin watersheds in the context 

of how agricultural practices, which include agricultural 

chemical applications and irrigation practices, interface with 

natural settings and hydrologic processes. These watersheds 

are part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program 

(NAWQA) Agricultural Chemicals: Source, Transport, and 

Fate Study designed to understand the human and natural 

factors that control water quality within agricultural settings 

nationwide. The Granger Drain and DR2 basins are located 

within the Yakima River basin in south central Washington, 

and are dominated by a mixture of irrigated agriculture, 

pasture, and animal feeding operations. Granger Drain basin 

covers approximately 62 square miles and the DR2 basin, 

nested within the Granger Drain basin, has a drainage area of 

2.1 square miles. Temperatures range from an average monthly 

low of 23.9 in January to an average monthly high of 88.5 in 

August.

Based on field mapping conducted by USGS in 2003 

and 2004, the major crops within the Granger Drain basin 

consist of alfalfa and other hays, asparagus, corn, hops, mint, 

pasture, juice grapes, wine grapes, and apple, pear, and cherry 

orchards. The DR2 basin contains a less diverse mixture of 

crops with most agricultural land dedicated to the production 

of corn, juice grapes, and pasture. Numerous dairies varying in 

size from a few hundred dairy cows to more than a thousand 

dairy cows operate in the Granger Drain and DR2 basins. The 

dairy industry substantially influences the crops grown in the 

basin as dairies require enormous amounts of corn and alfalfa 

for feed.

Estimates of agricultural chemical applications indicate, 

with varying degrees of confidence, that the most abundantly 

applied fungicides in the DR2 basin in 2004 were sulfur, 

fenarimol, triflumizole, and myclobutanil; the most abundantly 

applied herbicides were EPTC, glyphosate, acetochlor, and 

metolachlor (all of which are commonly used on corn); and 

the most abundantly applied insecticides were petroleum 

distillates, disulfoton, chlorpyrifos, and carbaryl.

Because the region lies in the rain shadow east of the 

Cascade Mountains, it receives about 7 inches of precipitation 

per year. Agriculture within these basins and surrounding 

areas relies on extensive irrigation provided by canals located 

within these basins. Two large canals cross the Granger Drain 

basin from west to east: the Roza Canal to the north and 

24 Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
the Sunnyside Canal to the south. Water delivered to farms 

in the Granger Drain basin eventually drains to Granger 

Drain, which enters the Yakima River. For the period of 

record (2000–2003), total annual discharge from Granger 

Drain ranged from 9,310 to 14,700 cubic feet, with a mean 

of 12,300 cubic feet. Flow in Granger Drain is higher 

during the summer irrigation season and lower during the 

winter non-irrigation season. During the irrigation season, 

average monthly flows in the Granger Drain ranged between 

34 and 52 cubic feet per second. Streamflows during the 

non-irrigation season dropped to monthly averages between 

18.2 and 20.7 cubic feet per second.

The ground-water system in the Granger Drain basin 

consists of a surficial unconfined to semi-confined aquifer 

composed of the unconsolidated surficial deposits. This 

aquifer is bounded on the bottom, north, and south by 

basalts of the Columbia River Basalt Group. Basalt aquifers 

underlying the surficial aquifer are believed to be isolated 

from the surficial aquifer and stream systems. Recharge to 

the surficial aquifer is largely the result of applied irrigation 

water, with a much smaller amount resulting from winter 

precipitation.

References Cited

Bohn, G.E., 2001, Granger Drain fecal coliform bacteria 

total maximum daily load assessment and evaluation: 

Washington State Department of Ecology Publication 

01-10-012, 119 p.

Bretz, J.H., 1930, Valley deposits west of the channeled 

scabland: Journal of Geology, v. 38, p. 385-422.

Ebbert, J.C., and Embrey, S.S, 2002, Pesticides in surface 

water of the Yakima River basin, Washington, 1999–2000—

Their occurrence and an assessment of factors affecting 

concentrations and loads: U.S. Geological Survey WaterResources Investigations Report 01-4211, 49 p.

Ebbert, J.C., Embrey, S.S., and Kelley, J.A., 2003, 

Concentrations and loads of suspended sediment and 

nutrients in surface water of the Yakima River basin, 

Washington, 1999–2000—With an analysis of trends in 

concentrations: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 03-4026, 111 p.

Fuhrer. G.J., Morace, J.L., Johnson, H.M., Rinella, J.F., 

Ebbert, J.C., Embrey, S.S., Waite, I.R., Carpenter, K.D., 

Wise, D.R., and Hughes, C.A., 2004, Water quality in 

the Yakima River basin, Washington, 1999–2000: U.S. 

Geological Survey Circular 1237, 44 p.

Morace, J.L., and McKenzie, S.W., 2002, Fecal-indicator 

bacteria in the Yakima River basin, Washington—An 

examination of 1999 and 2000 synoptic-sampling data and 

their relation to historical data: U.S. Geological Survey, 

Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4054, 32 p., 1 

oversize sheet, scale 1:350,000.

Morace, J.L. Fuhrer, G.J. Rinella, J.F. McKenzie, S.W., 

and others, 1999, Surface-water-quality assessment of 

the Yakima River basin in Washington—Overview of 

major findings, 1987–91: U.S. Geological Survey WaterResources Investigations Report 98-4113, 119 p.

National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2005, Agricultural 

chemical use database – by state: National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, accessed December 7, 2005, at http://

www.pestmanagement.info/nass

Rinella, J.F., McKenzie, S.W., Crawford, J.K, Foreman, W.T., 

Fuhrer, G.J., Morace, J.L, Aiken, G.R., 1999, Surfacewater-quality assessment of the Yakima River basin, 

Washington—Distribution of pesticides and other organic 

compounds in water, sediment, and aquatic biota, 1987–

1991, with a section on dissolved organic carbon in the 

Yakima River basin by G.R. Aiken: U.S. Geological Survey 

Water-Supply Paper 2354-B, 180 p.

Schuster, J.E., comp., 1994, Geologic map of the east half 

of the Toppenish 1:100,000 quadrangle, Washington: 

Washington State Department of Natural Resources, 

Division of Geology and Earth Resources Open File Report 

94-10, 15 p., 1 pl., scale 1:100,000.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2005, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service, United States Department of 

Agriculture. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database 

for Yakima County, Washington: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture digital data, accessed December 12, 2005, at 

http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov

U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, 2000 population density by 

block group for the conterminous United States: U.S. 

Geological Survey digital data, accessed December 5, 

2005, at http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/metadata/usgswrd/XML/

uspopd00x10g.xml

References Cited 25
United States Reclamation Service, 1912, Report on Drainage, 

Sunnyside Unit—Yakima Project: Washington, D.C., United 

States Reclamation Service, 59 p.

Vaccaro, J.J., and Olsen, T.D., 2007, Estimates of groundwater recharge to the Yakima River Basin aquifer system, 

Washington, for predevelopment and current land-use and 

land-cover conditions: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2007-5007, 30 p.

Waitt, R.B., Jr., 1984, Periodic Jokulhlaups from Pleistocene 

Glacial Lake Missoula—New evidence from varved 

sediment in northern Idaho and Washington: Quaternary 

Research, v. 22, p. 46-58.

Waring, G.A., 1913, Geology and water resources of a portion 

of South-Central Washington: Water-Supply Paper 316, 

p. 46.

Washington State Department of Ecology, 2005, GIS data—

Dairy farms: Washington State Department of Ecology, 

accessed December 10, 2005, at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/

services/gis/data/data.html

Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Division 

of Geology and Earth Resources, 2005, Digital 1:100,000-

scale geology of Washington state version 1.0: Washington 

State Department of Natural Resources, Division of 

Geology and Earth Resources, Open-File Report 2005-3.

Washington State Office of Financial Management, 2005, 

April 1 Intercensal and Postcensal estimates of the total 

resident population by year for the State, counties, cities, 

the unincorporated areas, and incorporated areas—1968 to 

2005: Washington State Office of Financial Management 

accessed December 10, 2005, at http://www.ofm.wa.gov/

pop/cociseries/.

Washington State University, 1999, Nutrient management 

guide—Central Washington irrigated potatoes: Washington 

State University Cooperative Extension Publication 

EB1882, 8 p.

Western Regional Climate Center, 2005, Historical climate 

information—Climate narrative of each state: Western 

Regional Climate Center, accessed December 7, 2005, at 

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/

26  Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04
Manuscript approved for publication, May 22, 2007

Prepared by the USGS Publishing Network, 

Bill Gibbs 

Debra Grillo

Lyn Osburn

Ginger Renslow

Bobbie Jo Richey

For more information concerning the research in this report, contact the 

Director, Washington Water Science Center 

U.S. Geological Survey, 934 Broadway — Suite 300

Tacoma, Washington 98402

http://wa.water.usgs.gov
SIR 2007–5102 Payne and others Environmental Setting of the Granger Drain and DR2 Basins, Washington, 2003–04