Hanford Reach National Monument
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hanford Reach National Monument | |
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| Location: | Washington, USA |
| Nearest city: | Richland, WA |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 195,000 acres (790 km²) |
| Established: | June 8, 2000 |
| Governing body: | United States Fish and Wildlife Service |
The Hanford Reach National Monument is a national monument in the U.S. State of Washington. It was created in 2000 from what used to be the security buffer surrounding the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The area is a pristine wilderness, un-polluted by Hanford's nuclear activities and untouched by development or agriculture since 1942.
The monument is named after Hanford Reach, the last free flowing section of the Columbia River and is the only "National Monument" administered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. President Bill Clinton established the monument by presidential decree.
Geographically, the area is part of the Columbia River Plateau, formed by basalt lava flows and water erosion. The shrub-steppe landscape is harsh and dry, receiving between 5 and 10 inches of rain per year. The river, plateaus and grasslands are home to a wide variety of rare plants and animals, including big game.
[edit] Usage
The monument is open two hours before sunrise to two hours after sunset; some areas are open to the public and others are not:
- Fitzner-Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve - access permitted for ecological research, closed to the public.
- Columbia River Corridor - shore and open water is generally open to the public.
- McGee Ranch and Riverlands - public day use.
- Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge - access permitted for ecological research, closed to the public.
- Vernita Bridge - open to the public.
- Wahluke Slope - open to the public.
