Wildfire damage threatens key irrigation canal supplying Washington orchards

A wildfire that swept Yakima County last year left a century-old irrigation canal so unstable that engineers are racing to prevent catastrophic water loss for thousands of acres of orchards.

Brett Walton reports for Circle of Blue.

In short:

The 2024 Retreat Fire burned 45,000 acres above the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation Canal, destabilizing slopes and sending boulders and debris crashing into the waterway.
The canal, which supplies 35,000 acres of fruit farms, now leaks in more than 2,000 spots; the irrigation district is seeking $240 million in federal funds to replace it.
Repairs could take up to 16 years, and growers face potential financial strain from required cost-sharing and ongoing emergency fixes.

Key quote:

“The lifeblood of this community is on the line and it’s coming apart right now.”

— Travis Okelberry, manager of the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District

Why this matters:

Wildfires increasingly disrupt the water systems that underpin U.S. agriculture. When forests burn, soils lose stability and slopes shed rock and sediment into canals and reservoirs. These waterways are lifelines for high-value crops such as apples and cherries, which depend on irrigation in arid regions. As climate change drives hotter, longer fire seasons, rural communities face compounding risks: damage to infrastructure, reduced crop yields, and financial strain from repairs. The Yakima-Tieton canal’s struggle highlights how wildfire impacts extend far beyond charred trees, reshaping entire watersheds and threatening food supplies and local economies for years after flames are extinguished.

www.circleofblue.org

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