Whitewater boaters flock to Tieton River flip-flop

WATERSPORTS — Whitewater enthusiasts are expecting a warm welcome from Washington's Tieton River along US 12 west of Yakima this weekend.
A large gathering of rafters and kayakers — private and commercial — is gearing up from across the region to take advantage of the annual “flip-flop.”
The annual September release of water that's been warming all summer in Rimrock Lake has begun in order to feed water to downstream crop irrigation needs as well as to boost salmon spawning.
The “flip-flop” term comes from the fact that the increased water down the Tieton helps make up for the reduction of flows in the Yakima River.
The result is an opportunity for ...more