A photo of The Columbia River Gorge

View of the Columbia River Gorge south of the Ginkgo Petrified Forest visitor center. A sagebrush bush is in the foreground. The causeway of Interstate 90 is visible crossing the Wanapum Dam Reservoir. The Columbia River Plateau of eastern Washington is a high desert -- much of it receives less than 30 cm (12 inches) of rain per year (Rieben, [2010]). Sagebrush is well adapted to the cool desert-like conditions and grows thickly in areas that have been overgrazed in the past.