Winchester Wasteway, located in Grant County, Washington, offers paddlers a unique desert waterway experience through the Columbia Basin. This irrigation runoff channel flows through a landscape transformed by the Columbia Basin Project, creating an oasis for wildlife and paddling opportunities in an otherwise arid environment. The primary put-in is accessed via Dodson Road, approximately 13 miles west of Moses Lake off Interstate 90. Paddlers should obtain a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife vehicle parking permit. The most popular route runs roughly 25 miles downstream toward Potholes Reservoir, with an intermediate take-out at a flow gauge station accessible from Road C-SE, approximately at the midpoint. The full trip concludes at Potholes State Park or MarDon Resort.

Spring (late March through early April) offers prime paddling conditions with moderate flows, nesting waterfowl, and pleasant temperatures. Water levels remain navigable year-round, though flows can double from late October through November.

The channel character varies considerably: wide, lazy sections alternate with narrower passages requiring sharp turns and maneuvering through vegetation. Navigation can be challenging, as the channel braids through sand dunes with occasional dead-ends requiring backtracking. A notable hazard exists downstream from the gauge station where a waterfall requires a 100-yard portage. Paddlers must watch for a marked takeout to avoid swift water and a 10-foot final drop. The lower section also features overhanging Russian olive branches and rockier substrate.

Wildlife viewing is exceptional, with abundant waterfowl including sandhill cranes, ducks, geese, and red-winged blackbirds. Beavers and muskrats are common. The surrounding landscape features dramatic contrasts between desert dunes and wetland vegetation. Fishing opportunities exist for bass in off-channel sloughs and carp in wider sections.

Primitive camping is available on sand dunes along state-managed lands, though paddlers must pack drinking water.