Rainshadow Effect on Washington State's Economy

Diagram of Rain-Shadow Via Wikipedia

There are several ways the Rain-Shadow effects the economy of Washington. According to Washington:  a State of Contrasts, the Rain-Shadow effect is caused by the Cascades, which are a physical barrier that keeps out moisture on the leeward side of the Cascades. According to the National Weather Service there is less moisture on the eastern side of the Cascades, from less than 10 inches of rain to 30 for most of the area.  Crops that would not survive with as much moisture as there is on the western side can grow on the eastern side.  A lot of the land east of the Cascades is farmland, for example according to New World encyclopedia, the Palouse  region of southeast Washington is mostly farmland.