▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁a ▁large ▁wild fire ▁spread ing ▁over ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁W en atch ee ▁occurred , ▁affect ing ▁over ▁ 4 0 ▁nearby ▁homes . ▁ ▁The ▁W en atch ee ▁Valley ▁also ▁bo asts ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁two ▁al umin um ▁sm el ters ▁remaining ▁in ▁the ▁North western ▁United ▁States , ▁at ▁the ▁Al co a ▁plant ▁in ▁Mal aga . ▁The ▁plant ▁announced ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁shut ting ▁down ▁operations ▁on ▁January ▁ 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁Other ▁growing ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁regional ▁economy ▁are ▁tour ism ▁and ▁information ▁technology . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁W en atch ee ▁is ▁located ▁at ▁the ▁confl u ence ▁of ▁the ▁W en atch ee ▁and ▁Columbia ▁rivers ▁in ▁the ▁Columbia ▁Bas in , ▁just ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁fo oth ills ▁of ▁the ▁Cas cade ▁Range . ▁N est led ▁in ▁the ▁rain ▁shadow ▁of ▁the ▁Cas cade ▁Mountains , ▁there ▁are ▁blue ▁sk ies ▁ 3 0 0 ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁Ir rig ation ▁from ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries ▁allows ▁for ▁the ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁agricult ure ▁in ▁W en atch ee ▁and ▁the ▁surrounding ▁areas . ▁ ▁The ▁city ▁of ▁W en atch ee ▁is ▁border ed ▁by ▁the ▁W en atch ee ▁River ▁on ▁the ▁north , ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁and ▁the ▁W en atch ee ▁Mountains ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁west .