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<br /> <br /> <br />Community Wildfire Protection Plan 14 September 2018 <br />3.4 Terrain/Geomorphology <br />Three distinct regions are found in the County which include the Cascades, Eastern Cascades Slopes <br />and Foothills, and Columbia Plateau. The Cascade region is located in the western portion of the <br />County and is characterized by glaciated valleys and high peaks. The Cascade region is mainly <br />forested and within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The Eastern Cascades Slopes and <br />Foothills region comprises the majority of the central portion of the County and is characterized by <br />open forests, mainly ponderosa pine. The Columbia Plateau region is located to the east of the <br />Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills and is characterized as the Yakima River Valley and the <br />Columbia River Valley. Much of the area in the Yakima River Valley has been converted to irrigated <br />agriculture. Shrub-steppe habitat is also prominent within the Columbia Plateau region. <br />Soils in the mountainous areas in the county are characterized as basalt and glacial deposits. These <br />soils are eroded and deposited in the Yakima River Valley as alluvium. Upland of the Columbia River, <br />basalt forms steep talus slopes with large particle sizes (ranging from sand to boulders). The <br />shoreline of the Columbia River is characterized by natural alluvium and sand dunes, but some areas <br />have been modified by riprap and artificial fill (Kittitas County et al. 2013). <br /> © The Nature Conservancy| John Marshall