Cattle drive to bring traffic delays in Yakima River Canyon on Saturday

Travel will be affected Saturday, Jan. 18, through the Yakima River Canyon due to the annual Eaton family cattle drive.

State Route 821 will be reduced to one lane from approximately 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and drivers can expect long delays, according to an advisory from Washington State Department of Transportation.

The cattle drive starts near the Roza Recreation Site, traveling 6 miles north along State Route 821 to the Eaton Ranch.

Washington State Department of Transportation recommends motorists use Interstate 82 between Yakima and Ellensburg to avoid traffic delays.

Family and friends gather on horseback to herd cows, many of them pregnant, from grazing land in the canyon to spring pastures.

Onlookers should park well away from the side of the roadway. They should stay out of the road and give the cattle and horses space to avoid spooking them.