Wenatchee Heights, Washington — Orchards Above the Valley

Wenatchee Heights occupies elevated country where irrigation allowed agriculture to climb well above the valley floor.

Getting water onto those dry benches turned uplands into orchard ground. Apples, cherries and other fruit benefited from sun, elevation and cooler nights, while farms and homes remained dispersed along rural roads rather than gathering into a downtown.

Now the same elevation that benefited fruit growing attracts residential development. Views over the Columbia and Wenatchee valleys make former orchard parcels valuable for houses even as agriculture continues on neighboring acreage.

The valley is below. Irrigation explains why both farms and, eventually, neighborhoods climbed above it.