Fall 2011
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Yamhill Agricultural Water Quality Management Area Plan Biennial Review Report Yamhill and Polk Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Local Advisory Committee Meets to Review Area Plan The Yamhill Local Advisory Committee (Committee) met on October 18, 2011, to review the Yamhill Agricultural Water Quality Plan and Rules. At this meeting, the Committee was provided updates from Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Water Quality Program (Department), the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and the Yamhill and Polk Soil and Water Conservation Districts (Districts). In addition, the Committee discussed impediments that limit implementation of the Area Plan. The Committee recognized that there are limited funding sources available for implementation of agricultural water quality projects. Many funding sources have focused priorities and agricultural water quality projects are not typically high priority for these funding sources. The Committee expressed that there is a need for funding sources for smaller agricultural water quality projects that may not fit existing sources. The Department also introduced the Committee to the Priority Area concept. Partners plan to select a priority area for the Yamhill Management Area by June 2012 and begin implementation in this area in July 2012. The Committee expressed that they were pleased with the effort of the Districts to implement the Area Plan. The Committee asked for annual updates regarding compliance and progress related to implementation of the Area Plan.
Mauris lorem! The Yamhill Subbasin Management Area consists of all agricultural and rural land, except for Federal and Tribal trust lands in Yamhill County and the northern portion of Polk County, Oregon. It has an area of 769 square miles. The basin drains to the Yamhill River, which in turn, drains to the Willamette River near Dayton. Although Chehalem Creek is not a tributary of the Yamhill River, its drainage resides within Yamhill County and is therefore included within the Yamhill Basin boundary definition for planning purposes. The Chehalem Creek drainage basin has an area of 56 square miles and includes a few small streams that flow directly to the Willamette River near Newberg and Dundee.
Committee Members For 2011 Sam Sweeney, Chair Dan Bansen Don Duhrkropf Gary Johnson Ernie Strahm Denny Wilfong
Don Christensen Alan Elliot Lucien Gunderman Steve Jones Tom Thomson
YAMHILL MANAGEMENT AREA
FALL 2011
Yamhill Agricultural Water Quality Plan and Rules Background The Yamhill Area Plan and Rules were developed with advice from the Committee. After review by the state Board of Agriculture, the director of the Department approved the Area Plan and Rules in 2000. Since then, the Committee has met to review the Area Plan and Rules in 2003, 2007, and 2009. The focus of the Area Plan is to encourage good stewardship of natural resources. The success of the Area Plan depends upon a large percentage of landowners using voluntary conservation measures to reduce pollution from agricultural lands.
Yamhill Area Plan Mission To promote sound agricultural conservation within a framework of economic profitability and viability. The Plan is designed to achieve applicable chemical, physical, and biological water quality standards.
Goals •
Create a high level of awareness and understanding of water quality issues in the agribusiness community, rural landowners, and the public.
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Increase the adoption of conservation practices to improve water quality.
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Secure adequate funding for administration and implementation of the program and to achieve this Plan’s mission, goals, and objectives.
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Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the Area Plan.
Regulations •
Landowner’s actions may not cause pollution to any waters of the state or place any wastes in a location where such wastes are likely to escape or be carried into waters of the state by any means. In addition, there are rules specific to erosion, irrigation water, nutrient applications, and chemical applications.
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Riparian vegetation along streams must provide the water quality functions of shade and streambank stability.
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YAMHILL MANAGEMENT AREA
FALL 2011
The Yamhill Management Area has water bodies that are ‘water quality limited’ for bacteria, temperature, chlorpyrifos, dissolved oxygen, iron, and manganese.
Yamhill and Polk Soil and Water Conservation District Water Quality Concerns Programs The Yamhill Agricultural Water Quality Plan (Area Plan) encompasses portions of the geographic boundaries of the Yamhill and Polk Districts. The Districts are the Local Management Agency (LMA) for the Department to implement the Area Plan and Rules. As an LMA, the Districts are typically the primary contact for agricultural landowners regarding water quality issues.
Of the Yamhill water quality concerns, seven resulted in a letter to the landowner. Four of the water quality concerns were forwarded to the Department for further investigation. Concerns were related to removal of riparian vegetation, livestock issues (horses and llamas), erosion on agricultural lands, and mud and manure management. Most concerns voiced were related to noxious weeds and the failure of landowners to control them. The second most common concern was erosion due to lack of vegetative buffers, both riparian buffers and buffers between properties.
Both Districts have water quality concern programs. Using these programs, citizens can report water quality concerns to the District, and the District can investigate the concerns without taking regulatory action. The Districts use this program to help landowners bring their property into compliance with the Area Rules without regulation. There were 26 water quality concerns referred to the Yamhill District and five to the Polk District in the 2009-11 biennium.
Compliance Investigations Since the last review in October of 2009, the Department has investigated four new complaints and followed up on one investigation from prior to October of 2009. Complaint Type:
Resulting Action:
• Pigs/Manure Management
No connection to Waters of the state
• Pigs/Manure Management
CAFO Program Follow-up
• Vineyard Development
Letter of Compliance
• Riparian Vegetation Removal
Initial: Letter of Warning Follow-up: Letter of Compliance
Follow-up: Christmas Tree/Erosion
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Initial: Letter of Warning Follow-up: Letter of Compliance
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YAMHILL MANAGEMENT AREA
FALL 2011
Yamhill District Highlights The Yamhill SWCD partnered with Michael Paine to install a solar irrigation system in the summer of 2010. Funds from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) were leveraged to create a system that employs a two-kilowatt solar array to pump water from an irrigation pond. In addition, roof water runoff is collected from the farm buildings to tanks on a hill for storage. These tanks release water to a micro-drip system below based on computer timers. Prior to installing this system, Paine had been moving hand lines daily and running a gas powered pump, which was neither time nor energy efficient. The pump had to be refilled several times per day. The benefits of the system include; efficiency and timing of water delivery to crops and erosion control. Paine estimates that over a period of five years the system will save over 200,000 gallons of water and countless man-hours.
Another highlight was a project that resulted from an agricultural water quality concern from a neighbor. After a site visit, it was clear that the pastures were in poor condition. The pastures were overgrazed, which posed erosion and nutrient loading concerns to the section of Dopp Creek running through the property. The landowner was very eager to Before
improve the condition of the property. The landowner was provided with advice and technical assistance from the District. Cattle were removed, the field was harrowed, and cover was planted to renovate the pastures. The result was thick, lush pasture grass to hold the soil, which transformed the look of the property. There are no erosion or nutrient loading concerns with the new pasture. After
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YAMHILL MANAGEMENT AREA
FALL 2011
Polk District Highlights Rural Living Handbook In an effort to assist landowners with potential water quality and other natural resource issues, the Polk District has published a Rural Living Handbook. The Handbook addresses issues caused by domestic animals and livestock and ways to help reduce the impact they have on the land and water. This publication has had such a strong response that a Polk County Animal Control Officer carries them to hand out in response to rural animal investigation calls. This publication is available to the public at all Polk District events including the County Fair, workshops, and the District’s annual meeting. Since the Handbook was published in January 2010, over 1,000 copies have been distributed. Contact the Polk District to get a copy.
Nutria Control Program The Polk District takes a proactive approach to water quality. One of the District’s goals is to address water quality issues before there is a complaint. The District has an extensive education and outreach program to raise awareness of water quality issues. In addition, the District has implemented projects for erosion control, riparian restoration, and mud and manure management. To further the District’s proactive approach, an innovative program to address the impact that nutria has on water quality has been implemented by the District. Currently, the District has the only nutria bounty and control program in the state of Oregon. Captured nutria are taken to either Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine or the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Nutria taken to the veterinary lab are tested for a number of diseases potentially affecting water quality including: Johne’s disease, Leptospiria, and Giardia. All but one of the nutria tested have been positive for Giardia. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife use the nutria for population studies to determine ages and litter sizes. Look for the final report of the Nutria Control Program at the end of the year.
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YAMHILL MANAGEMENT AREA
FALL 2011
Soil Erosion: Conversion From Forest to Agricultural Use
Soil erosion is one of the most important environmental challenges we face. Excessive erosion reduces long-term productivity of crop production, and if sediment accumulates in streams, it can devastate fish and other aquatic life. Correcting the impacts of soil erosion costs much more than it does to prevent it. Erosion issues do not stop or start at property boundaries; therefore, it is critical to coordinate with neighbors to help prevent soil erosion. The main concern in the conversion process is having bare ground during the winter. Recommended practices include: mulching, use of cover cropping, and maintaining permanent groundcover in drainage ways and non-cropped areas. Producers and landowners have the responsibility of learning about vineyard establishment and regulations. Site capability including soils, topography, water resources, and climate should be
determined. Environmental Regulations Oregon Department of Forestry – Oregon Forest Practices Act – No provisions of the Forest Practices Act prohibit forestland from being converted to another use. Notification to the Oregon Department of Forestry is required when trees are harvested for any non-forest use including vineyard development. In addition, it requires control of soil erosion and protection of riparian areas. Oregon Department of Agriculture – Water Quality Program – Agricultural water quality rules require vineyard developers to control erosion and prevent pollution of waterways. In most cases, trees and shrubs are required along streams to provide shade and streambank stability. When converting from forestry to agriculture, contacting the Department is recommended. County Tax Assessor – In addition to compliance with state regulations, the county tax assessor should be contacted for potential changes in tax assessment. Technical Assistance Assistance for erosion prevention and control planning is available from the 6
Districts and the USDA NRCS. Contacting one of these agencies early in the process of developing a vineyard helps to avoid common mistakes and reduces the risk of violating environmental regulations. Contact Information: Oregon Department of Agriculture: (503) 9864700 Oregon Department of Forestry: (503) 945-7200 Polk SWCD: (503) 623-9680 Yamhill SWCD: (503) 472-1474 Polk NRCS: (503) 623-2396 Yamhill NRCS: (503) 472-1474 Polk Tax Assessor: (503) 623-8391 Yamhill Tax Assessor: (503) 434-7521
YAMHILL MANAGEMENT AREA
FALL 2011
Summary of Progress Toward Area Plan Objectives, Strategies, and Targets. Local Management Agency, Yamhill SWCD Education and Outreach ! 1,703 landowners were contacted through direct mailings, site visits, and one-on-one visits ! Six mailings of “Conservation Notes” were mailed (mailing list of 3,500 each mailing) ! 11 new fact sheets developed on weeds ! 457 fact sheets distributed ! 3 conservation film nights with a total of 90 attendees ! 1 presentation and 1 workshop focused on horse management with 19 attendees ! Created office map of Yamhill County watersheds for display ! 10 Informational Booths were developed and displayed at McMinnville’s Farmers Market ! 3 tours organized with a total of 108 people attendees ! A woodland management educational event for 5th graders had 541 students in attendance ! 3,663 students received natural resources education at Miller Woods ! 95 news articles were published related to the SWCD program Land Stewardship and Water Quality Projects ! 492 site visits were made by staff to landowners ! 33 landowners are implementing Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) funded riparian projects ! 28 conservation practices applied using funds from Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), OWEB and United States Fish and Wildlife Service ! 24 plans covering 435 acres in approved conservation plans ! 16 of 20 known knotweed infestations and 12 sites of spurge laurel were treated the last two years ! 26 formal natural resources complaints were made and followed up on by staff, numerous informal complaints were taken and questions by the public answered Funding and Administration ! A National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant was used to partially support riparian buffer work ($50,000) ! District has contributed funds for spurge laurel and knotweed control projects ($4,000) ! Two USDA-Conservation Innovation Technical Grant proposals were funded ($117,069) and implemented for floating island wetland and nutrient trading tool program being developed for USDA ! A native plant nursery was developed in part through Bureau of Land Management-RAC funds ($11,000) ! 7 projects on private lands funded by OWEB ($42,664) ! Habitat Conservation Plan development for Yamhill county private landowners ($391,000) ! NAWCA for maintenance of Wetland Reserve Program projects ($49,100) ! Prairie restoration through USDA and USFW funds ($19,867) Monitoring ! TMDL Technical Advisory Meetings – first one held in August 2009 and has not met since ! YBC and SWCD are supporting pesticide monitoring funded through DEQ (Completed) ! Ground and surface water monitoring is being explored by SWCD staff ($10,000 allocated)
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YAMHILL MANAGEMENT AREA
FALL 2011
Summary of Progress Toward Area Plan Objectives, Strategies, and Targets. Local Management Agency, Polk SWCD Education and Outreach ! 11 presentations were made, reaching 190 people. ! Over 1,500 landowners were contacted through direct mailings, site visits, and one-on-one visits ! Seven mailings of “The Conservation Voice” newsletter were mailed (~214 each mailing) ! 1,173 Fact Sheets distributed (Seven new fact sheets developed) ! 22 news articles were published related to Polk SWCD programs ! 30 workshops/presentations hosted with over 257 attendees ! Four sessions of Outdoor School and numerous one-day outdoor lessons were hosted reaching over 725 youth and high school students Land Stewardship and Water Quality Projects ! 105 site visits were made by staff to landowners ! 10 active CREP plans and one new approved plan ! Removed invasive weed species from 7 restoration with help from HALO work crew ! 8 water quality projects implemented ! Vole Control Program continued through selling of bird boxes and providing designs and specifications to landowners ! 13 active EQIP plans implemented 20 conservation practices ! Implemented 1 WHCMP plan through ODFW ! Worked with multiple landowners to help with weed infestations through small grants ! 7 certified landowners enrolled in Nutria Bounty Program to assess nutria impact on water quality and document damage ! 5,662 Plants were sold to Yamhill County residents at Polk SWCD’s native plant sale to help improve water quality Funding and Administration ! 8 small grants (OWEB) addressing water quality issues through wildlife, habitat, and manure in the area were funded ($30,339) ! NFWF grant used to partially support riparian buffer work ($25,000) ! 2 WHIP plans were funded ($7,133) ! CREP funding totaled ($30,000) ! Outdoor School received funding from multiple sources ($47,579) ! Nutria Bounty Control Program through NFWF was awarded ($11,250) ! Assisted 19 landowners through an NRCS contribution agreement ($3,665) Monitoring ! Attended meeting to discuss TMDL Management Plan for Yamhill Watershed hosted by DEQ. ! Attended a forestry to vineyard conversion meeting along with other vineyard trainings dealing with water quality monitoring issues.
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YAMHILL MANAGEMENT AREA
FALL 2011
Yamhill TMDL Update DEQ has been working on the Yamhill temperature and bacteria TMDLs, as resources were available, since 2005. Continuous in-stream temperature data was collected between May and September 2005, and Thermal Infrared Radiometry temperatures were recorded on July 27, 2005. DEQ collected supplemental temperature, stream flow, and habitat measurements during the summers of 2008 and 2009. Bacteria sampling took place regularly at eight sites in the watershed from July 2008 to June 2009. DEQ collected inter-gravel dissolved oxygen measurements at four locations on the North and South Yamhill Rivers during spring 2009, in response to dissolved oxygen standard violations during the late spawning season. DEQ also completed an intensive dissolved oxygen data collection on Salt Creek during summer 2008 and sediment oxygen demand measurements in August 2010. DEQ始s Laboratory Division has accepted and validated several years始 worth of volunteer-collected data (both continuous temperature and other field parameters) from the Yamhill Basin. These data are entered into DEQ始s online database and are available for public use. DEQ convened a meeting of a TMDL review committee in August 2009 and of McMinnville for more in-depth discussion of the stream temperature model to be used. DEQ worked on compiling data, remote mapping, and input to the temperature model discontinuously from summer 2009 through autumn 2010. Input to the Heat Source model is about half complete. DEQ has digitized the stream channel and vegetation and input stream flow, stream temperatures, and climate data. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data is available for the lower half of the South Yamhill River, which provides very detailed and accurate vegetation height.
met with the city
DEQ halted work on development of the Yamhill TMDL in the winter of 2010 to concentrate on TMDL implementation in other subbasins. In the next year, DEQ intends to complete calibration of the Heat Source model and set the model aside until staff availability allows completion of the Yamhill TMDLs. Until DEQ completes the temperature and bacteria TMDLs for the Yamhill Subbasin, the 1992 TMDL for phosphorus can serve as a guide for implementation. The in-stream average concentration of phosphorus should not exceed 0.7 mg/L between May and October. Non-point sources of phosphorus to the river include natural sources, eroding streambanks, runoff carrying sediment or fertilizer, direct deposition by animals, and septic systems. Implementing practices that reduce these sources of phosphorus, in many cases, would also begin to address the temperature and bacteria impairments that still require quantification through a TMDL process. Water Quality Program 635 Capitol St. NE Salem, OR 97301 For more assistance, you can also contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District office:
Yamhill SWCD 220 SW 2nd Street McMinnville, OR 97128 (503) 472-1474 www.yamhillswcd.org
Polk SWCD 580 Main Street, Ste. A Dallas, OR 97338 (503) 623-9680 www.polkswcd.org
Regional Water Quality Specialist Kevin Fenn Phone: 503-986-6486 Fax: 503-986-4730 E-mail: kfenn@oda.state.or.us