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.
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