Tri-Cities spring wildflower walks with local experts begin this weekend

The Columbia Basin Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society will be leading wildflower walks on local ridges in the Horse Heaven Hills near and around the Tri-Cities.

The events start this weekend and continue through May.

Cowiche Canyon – April 16 leave 8:30 a.m. return 1:30 p.m. – A half-day plus drive to see the wildflowers in Cowiche Canyon and Snow Mountain Preserve, west of Yakima. Meet at the park and ride on Terminal Drive just off Van Giesen and Hwy 240.

McBee Ridge - April 23 at 9:30 am - Take a multi-stop drive and hike to McBee Ridge to learn about wildfire recovery and continue to the ridgetop to spy out notable wildflowers like Oregon sunshine and royal penstemon. Meet at the Park and Ride just to the east of the roundabout at the Benton City exit off I-82 uphill past the gas station. There will be several stops. Trip will last 3 to 3.5 hours.

White Bluffs – April 24 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – a drive to the Wahluke Slope and White Bluffs area north of Tri-Cities. Meet at the park and ride at 1600 Terminal Drive and then drive to Vernita Bridge to enter the Hanford reach National Monument. Trip duration will be 4 to 5 hours.

Badger Mountain - May 7 at 10 a.m. - To catch some of the mid-season wildflowers on Badger, meet at 10 a.m. at the Skyline Trailhead Parking Lot off Dallas Road. Hike will go 2 to 2.5 hours with frequent stops along the way.

Jump Off Joe - May 21 at 9:30 am - An adventure to Jump off Joe! Meet at the Kennewick Fred Meyer parking lot just to the south of the electric vehicle charging stations and the gas station. This field trip will include multiple stops for viewing shrub-steppe flora and culminate at the ridge top to see fields of big-leaf lupine.

Badger Mountain - May 28 at 9:30 am - To view more late season blooms on Badger meet at the kiosk at the base of the trail uphill of the Shockley Road parking lot. Hike Badger’s Sagebrush Trail to see the last of spring wildflowers and learn about the shrub-steppe flora. Hike duration 2 to 2.5 hours.

To raise awareness of Washington’s Native Plant Appreciation Month the Chapter has also created a beautiful display of wildflowers and native pollinators in the Richland Library lobby. It can be viewed in the lobby of the Richland Library, 955 Northgate Drive, for the whole month of April.

The walks are all free, and all are welcome. For more information and instructions on how to register for each event, visit the Columbia Basin Chapter Washington Native Plant Society website. Each calendar description provides instructions on how to register for each walk.

Chinook Fishing Season

The Washington Department of Fish and Game has updated the allowable catch rules for the Columbia River. The adult salmon counts for Chinook at Bonneville Dam were running between 10% and 25% of the 10-year average for the past week.

• Mainstem Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco — immediately through May 5: Open to bank angling for hand-cast lines only. Daily limit 6, up to 2 adults may be retained of which up to 1 may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook. Release wild steelhead.
• Tower Island power lines upstream to Hwy. 730 at the Washington/Oregon border — immediately through May 5: Open to boat and bank angling. Daily limit 6, up to 2 adults may be retained of which up to 1 may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook. Release wild steelhead.

Spring Chinook salmon fishing on the Snake River opens.

• Below Little Goose Dam: Tuesdays and Fridays only, beginning May 3. Includes Snake River from Texas Rapids boat launch (located on the south side of the river upstream of the mouth of Tucannon River) to the fishing restriction boundary below Little Goose Dam.
• Wednesdays and Thursdays only, beginning May 4. Includes below Ice Harbor Dam: Snake River from the South Bound Highway 12 bridge near Pasco upstream about 7 miles to the fishing restriction boundary below Ice Harbor Dam. Rules: Min. size 12”. Daily Limit 4 hatchery (adipose clipped. Check for other rules.

This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 12:58 PM.