town in Washington
Honey bee forage in Waterville, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 36% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (81st percentile) and lowest in summer (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: peas (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 2.0 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 3.0 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Waterville?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Waterville, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Peas: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi NE, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Waterville
Mostly: Fallow / idle cropland; Winter Wheat; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi N; open water 0.49 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 37% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Waterville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 64th | 73rd | 78th |
| Washington | 36th | 56th | 29th | 81st |
| Columbia Plateau | 76th | 83rd | 69th | 73rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Waterville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Entiat 7 mi · Chelan Falls 11 mi · Chelan 14 mi · Manson 16 mi · Sunnyslope 16 mi · East Wenatchee 19 mi
All towns in Washington · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Waterville (47.648, -120.0707); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.