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NORTHWEST East Oregonian A2 Thursday, December 31, 2020 DEQ study tracks quality of Walla Walla Basin groundwater By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press MILTON-FREEWATER — The Oregon Department of Environmental Qual- ity is calling for long-term monitoring of nitrates, bac- teria and pesticides in the Walla Walla Basin to protect groundwater from future contamination. DEQ sampled 100 resi- dential and agricultural wells around Mil- ton-Freewa- ter in North- east Oregon as part of a groundwater quality study in 2016. Results were Haxton-Evans published on Dec. 22, identifying 41 chemicals in the water. Not all chemicals are harmful. Some, such as low levels of minerals, exist nat- urally in groundwater. Levels of contami- nants were mostly within the Environmental Protec- tion Agency’s standards for clean drinking water, though according to the study, nitrates, lead and bacteria did exceed health standards in some wells. “We plan to present this data to folks locally, so they can be more informed about the risks to themselves and anybody who uses their Oregon Department of Environmental Quality/Contributed Photo The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality sampled 100 residential and agricultural wells around Milton-Freewater in Northeast Oregon as part of a groundwater quality study in 2016. The results were published on Dec. 22, 2020, identifying 41 chemicals in the water. tural reasons,” Haxton-Ev- ans said. “We want to get a baseline understanding of the quality of Oregon’s aqui- fers, and hopefully going forward get trending data to understand how those aqui- fers may change over time.” The Walla Walla Basin, which straddles the Ore- gon-Washington state line, is a densely agricultural area known for its high-value fruit orchards and vineyards. For its study, DEQ sampled wells exclusively on the Oregon groundwater wells,” said Paige Haxton-Evans, state- wide groundwater quality monitoring coordinator for DEQ. “We also recommend some long-term monitoring of these contaminants.” Oregon lawmakers approved the Statewide Groundwater Quality Mon- itoring Program in 2015 to gauge groundwater contam- inants in vulnerable basins. “Many people rely on groundwater for domes- tic, industrial and agricul- Forecast for Pendleton Area TODAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY Breezy in the morning; cloudy Cloudy Remaining cloudy Becoming windier with a shower A shower; breezy in the p.m. 46° 35° 45° 37° 48° 36° 43° 37° PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 54° 45° 49° 35° 50° 39° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 52° 46° 48° 36° 54° 39° OREGON FORECAST ALMANAC Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Seattle Olympia 50/47 Kennewick Walla Walla 45/37 Lewiston 44/34 50/45 Astoria 50/47 38/33 42/33 Longview 43/35 Portland Hermiston 51/45 The Dalles 48/36 Salem Corvallis Pendleton 39/32 Yesterday Normals Records La Grande 39/32 PRECIPITATION John Day Eugene Bend 52/43 46/31 40/27 Ontario 38/29 37/25 39/18 0.11" 0.63" 1.41" 4.57" 5.08" 9.91" WINDS (in mph) Caldwell Burns 37° 32° 39° 27° 66° (1949) -13° (1990) 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date Albany 51/43 through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. 46/35 47/37 0.21" 1.01" 1.55" 13.20" 12.33" 13.06" HERMISTON Enterprise 50/44 51/43 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date Pullman Yakima 34/29 50/44 45° 30° 39° 26° 63° (1920) -12° (1968) PRECIPITATION Moses Lake 50/44 Aberdeen 36/33 35/30 Tacoma Yesterday Normals Records Spokane Wenatchee 51/46 Today Boardman Pendleton Medford 48/36 Fri. SW 7-14 WSW 8-16 NNE 4-8 SSE 6-12 SUN AND MOON Klamath Falls Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today 39/25 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020 7:36 a.m. 4:21 p.m. 5:58 p.m. 9:06 a.m. Last New First Full Jan 6 Jan 12 Jan 20 Jan 28 NATIONAL EXTREMES Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 86° in Kingsville, Texas Low -41° in Yellowstone N.P., Wyo. side of the basin, from Mil- ton-Freewater west to Umap- ine, south to Athena and east into the Blue Mountains. Volunteers allowed DEQ to sample their wells twice in 2016 — once in late winter, and again in the fall to detect any seasonal differences. The study revealed wide- spread presence of nitrates, though not at high enough levels to trigger immedi- ate health concerns. Nitrates are found in agricultural fer- tilizers and can be harmful if consumed, especially by infants. Of the 100 wells sampled, only one had nitrate levels slightly above the safe drink- ing water threshold of 10 milligrams per liter. Twenty percent of wells, however, did have “elevated levels” of nitrates above 3 milligrams per liter, hence the need for continued monitoring, Hax- ton-Evans said. “This shows it is common to have nitrates leaching in through soils,” she said. Some 37% of wells had some level of coliform bac- teria, including three wells with E. coli. Haxton-Evans said the fi ndings reinforce public health recommenda- tions that well owners test for bacteria annually. DEQ also found 20 pes- ticide-related chemicals in wells, representing 12 parent pesticides. The most com- mon was desethylatrazine, a breakdown product of atra- zine, which is used primarily on crops and turf grass. None of the pesti- cides exceeded EPA health standards. Lead was found in trace amounts in 69 wells, three of which exceeded the EPA’s safe drinking water level of 0.015 milligrams per liter. Haxton-Evans said the Ore- gon Health Authority has already contacted those well owners. The study did not detect any amount of arsenic in groundwater. For the fi rst time under the Statewide Groundwater Monitoring Program, DEQ did test for perchlorate in the Walla Walla Basin. Perchlo- rate is a product found nat- urally in arid environments, as well as in some nitrate fertilizers. Seven wells did con- tain perchlorate, at a maxi- mum concentration of 1.64 micrograms per liter. That is below the safe drinking water threshold of 7 micro- grams per liter for children, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Dis- ease Registry. Haxton-Evans said she is not certain how the data may impact farms and ranches, though it is useful for them to know which chemicals are in the groundwater, and under- stand levels may change over time. “We don’t really investi- gate sources of contamina- tion,” she said. “That’s out- side the scope of this study and report.” DEQ has published sim- ilar reports on groundwater quality in the North Coast and Mid-Rogue Basin water- sheds. Haxton-Evans said a report on Harney County groundwater in Southeast Oregon should be completed in early 2021. First Day Hikes will continue at state parks on New Year’s Day By JAMIE HALE The Oregonian SALEM — There’s no better place to say “good rid- dance” to 2020 than the nat- ural beauty of one of Ore- gon’s state parks. Whether you’re throwing the old year into the ocean or shouting joyfully to the mountains, the annual First Day Hikes event on New Year’s Day offers a slice of a Northwest nature in which you can celebrate. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department announced earlier this month that the traditional event will continue on the fi rst day of 2021, though the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced a few changes. Most notable is the absence of any ranger- or volunteer-led hikes, leav- ing visitors to explore parks on their own. Some parks will instead display post- ers showing recommended hikes and ranger favorites, the parks department said. Park offi cials also are asking that visitors con- tinue to follow public health guidelines, including keep- Terry Richard/The Oregonian Oregon’s White River Falls State Park near Tygh Valley and Maupin can be a white world of ice if you catch it at the right temperature in January. The falls is one of the most powerful in Oregon, coming as it does off the White River Glacier on Mount Hood. ing distance from people not in your household and wearing face masks when distance isn’t possible. Peo- ple are encouraged to visit parks close to their homes, and to avoid parks that are overcrowded. As always, parking will be free at all Oregon state parks on Jan. 1, 2021. While most state park sites don’t usually charge parking fees, 25 of the most popu- lar places do, including Sil- NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY ver Falls, Fort Stevens and Smith Rock state parks. The parks department sells day passes as well as annual park passes for the rest of the year. Parking will also be free at Washington state parks on New Year’s Day. First Day Hikes will come on the heels of Winter Whale Watch Week, another winter tradition at Oregon state parks that will go on without rangers or volun- teers this season. IN BRIEF Two found dead in Elgin, Major Crime Team investigating ELGIN — Two people were found dead in Elgin, according to a press release from the Union County Sheriff’s offi ce. According to the release, the Union County Dispatch Center received a 911 call from an unidentifi ed male requesting law enforcement assistance at in the early morn- ing hours of Tuesday, Dec. 29. The call came from a remote area southeast of Elgin. “At this point in time, law enforcement does not believe there is an active threat to the community and they are continuing to investigate,” the release stated. “No further information is being released at this time until law enforcement notifi es the next of kin.” A deputy with the sheriff’s offi ce and an Oregon State Police trooper responded. They found two deceased individuals upon arrival. The reporting party was also at the scene, and that person received aid from the Elgin Ambulance and La Grande Fire Department. The Union County Major Crime Team, which includes offi cials from the Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce, La Grande Police Department, Oregon State Police and Union County Attorney’s offi ce, were called out to investigate. — EO Media Group Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. -10s -0s 0s showers t-storms 10s rain 20s flurries 30s snow 40s ice 50s 60s cold front E AST O REGONIAN — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — 70s 90s 100s warm front stationary front high 110s low Circulation Dept. 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