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About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2017)
February 3, 2017 CapitalPress.com Joint effort will bring riverbanks back to life For he Capital Press CARLTON, Ore. — Un- til last fall, both banks of the North Yamhill River west of Carlton were a thicket of blackberries and reed canary grass. But thanks to an agree- ment between three area land- owners and the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation Dis- trict, a 2.3-mile-long riparian buffer will be planted there this spring. “It took some convincing,” Josh Togstad, a Riparian Spe- cialist with YSWCD, said. “The landowners are losing some production. The buffer will be at least 50 feet from the top of the riverbank and up to 225 feet, depending on the meander of the river.” The project is funded by a $177,000 grant from the Or- egon Department of Agricul- ture. It’s part of a million-dol- lar set aside to help private landowners meet DEQ wa- ter-quality standards in what the ODA calls Strategic Imple- mentation Areas. All told, 33 acres belong- ing to the Sitton family, of Carlton, Kathy Magar, of Gaston, and a third landown- er will be planted with 60,000 native plants and shrubs such as Oregon ash, red osier dog- wood and big-leaf maple. “We’ve done projects like this before,” Togstad said, “but the average is probably five acres. It’s the first project of this size in our area.” Intact riparian buffers, Togstad said, are the last line of defense for clean water. They cool streams, stabilize banks, and filter runoff. “A (100-foot buffer) filters something like 90 percent of phosphorus and 90 percent of nitrogen out of runoff,” Tog- stad said. YSWCD will also plant perennial grasses on bare soil between shrubs and trees. Grasses not only prevent weeds from seeding in, but also filter sediment from sur- face runoff. “After about five years, trees will be big enough that they won’t be killed by mice or smothered by weeds,” he said. “After 15 years, they’ll be tall enough to provide shade.” Though shade is good for the river, it is often a source of concern for farmers. “There was some worry it would throw shade on fields,” Togstad said, “so we’re taper- ing the buffer, with the tallest trees right along the stream.” “The other concern was clogged tile lines,” he said. “Most of that land is tiled for drainage, so we’ll leave some open sections for tile lines, probably 10 to 15 feet wide.” Once the buffer is plant- ed this spring, YSWCD will maintain it for five years. “After that,” Togstad said, “the established buffer won’t need much more than mowing and spot spraying.” W17-2/#7 By BRETT TALLMAN W17-4/#14 7
