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Warm Springs, Oregon
May 6, 1999 9
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ktXTBSSJON 4-H& Youth Livestock Staff Chair, Madras secretary
5eRVK3e BemadetteHandley ZackdelNero Sue Ryan
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Internet Address: http7www.orst.edudeptwsext
The Oregon Stale University Extension Service start Is devoted to extending research-based information from OSU to the people of Warm Springs
In agriculture, home economics. 4-H youth, forestry, community development, energy and extension sea grant program with OSU, United States
Department of Agriculture. Jefferson County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs cooperating. The Exenslon Service offers Its programs
and materials equally to all people.
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The Clover speaks-
The Innovation Center for Community &
Youth Development
Youth and the people who work with
youth increasingly recognize that commu
nity youth development - the processes and
philosophy of involving youth as full part
ners with adults in the work of meeting
Natural Resource notables-
community needs - benefits both youth and
the community.
The National 4-H Council established the
Innovation Center to promote bold and cre
ative practices in community ana youm de
velopment. The Innovation Center builds on
nearly a century of 4-H experience in pro
gressive and socially challenging youth de
velopment. The Innovation Center draws on many
resources and partners to strengthen com
munity and youth development efforts:
The Innovation Center's cadre of youth
& adult partners are skilled innovators and
are trained in
developing youth-adult partnerships,
youth development, youth-led community
philanthropy, community
development, facilitation and visioning,
learning innovations, and change manage
ment. The resources and expertise of existing
National 4-H Council partners (land grant
universities, the
Cooperative Extension System, and other
youth organizations) are available to the
Innovation Center.
The Innovation Center continues to build
new partnerships with other local and na
tional centers andorganizations that share its
vision.
by Zach del Nero, Natural Resources
Agent
Ground Water in Oregon - The Unseen
Resource
Ken Lite, Hydrogeologist for the Oregon
Water Resources Department recently sub
mitted the following information on ground
water resources in Oregon.
While we may seldom realize it, right
now in the soil and rocks beneath us travels
an unseen but crucial resource, a constantly
renewing supply of water. This underground
water resource occurs everywhere in Or
egon, within a variety of geologic materials
or "units." It exists in cracks and holes in
volcanic and sedimentary deposits, and
within fractured granitic and metamorphic
rocks. Groundwater is also found in loose
materials such as silt, sand, and gravel within
stream drainages. The depth at which ground
water is encountered varies greatly through
out the state, from a few feet to hundreds of
feet. Those water-holding parts of geologic
units are called aquifers.
Oregon's aquifers are mostly used for
irrigation, municipal, and domestic (house
hold) uses. Records for about 250,000 water
wells drilled in Oregon are on file at the
Oregon Water Resources Department. While
the vast majority of the wells are for domes
tic uses, nearly 15,000 water rights have
been granted in Oregon for other groundwa
ter uses.
The effects of groundwater use are con
stantly monitored throughout Oregon.
Groundwater levels in over 300 state obser
vation wells, and hundreds of basin-project
wells are measured monthly, quarterly, or
annually. Automatic water-level recording
devices are installed in about 50 wells to
gather round-the-clock data.
Annual groundwater recharge generally
keeps pace with ground water use through
out the stale. However, some overdraft of the
resource is occurring. Overdraft is a condi
tion in which annual groundwater use ex
ceeds annual groundwater recharge, result
ing in long-term groundwater declines. Aqui
fers within some of the Columbia River Ba
salt Group geologic units, found in parts of
northern Oregon, have been particularly sus
ceptible to overdraft. "Critical groundwater
area" and "groundwater management area"
protections established by the Water Re
sources Commission have been set for some
aquifers in the Umatilla, Hood, and
Willamette basins.
Potential effects on stream flows from
groundwater use is another issue faced by
watermanagers. Groundwater naturally flows
out or "discharges" to springs and streams,
providing necessar base-flow to surface wa
ter, particularly during late summer months.
The rate at which groundwater discharges to
streams varies greatly. Some discharges from
in large volumes from porous lava flows,
v.. .. .... " " ... v . " ......... ....
while other systems discharge slowly through
fine-grained sediments such as silt and clay.
The relation of rate and timing of groundwa
ter use to surface-water flow are not known
in many areas throughout the state. That
information is necessary for proper ground
water and surface-water management in Or
egon. Currently, the OWRD is conducting
hydrogeologic studies in the Deschutes,
Willamette, South Coast, Rogue, and Kla
math Basins - with future projects slated for
the Umatilla and Grande Ronde Basins.
DATE
May 6th, 1999
May 7th, 1999
May 12th, 1999
May 14th, 1999
May 27th! 1999
May 28th, 1999
July 14th-18th, 1999
July 20th-24th,1999
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Warm Springs OSU Extension
Central Oregon and Beyond for 1999
ACTIVITY
What:Cattlemen's Risk Management Workshop
Where: Warm Springs
Contact: Extension office,553-3238
What:Horse Health Clinic
Where: Warm Springs
Contact: Extension Office,553-3238
What:Kids Cooking Class
Where: Warm Springs
Contact: Bea Handley ,553-3238
What:Sacred Landscapes: Native American Perspectives of
the Pacific N.W.
Where: Oregon State University
Contact: Ethnic Studies Dept.54 1-737-0 123 ,
What:Resilient Communities Teleconference
Where: Warm Springs
Contact: Extension Office,553-3238
What:Deadline ! Hi-Desert Youth Camp signup
Where: Redmond
Contact: Extension Office.548-6088
What:Crook County Fair
Where: Prineville
Contact: O.S.U. Extension Office54 1-447-6228
The View from here-
July 27th-August lst,1999
August 8th-14th, 1999
August 17th-22nd, 1999
August 18th-22nd,1999
WhatJefferson County Fair
Where: Madras
Contact: O.S.U. Extension Office541-553-3808
What:Deschutes County Fair
Where: Redmond
Contact: O.S.U. Extension Office54 1-548-6088
What:4-H Culture Enrichment Camp Sxn I
Where: W.S. Indian Reservation
Contact: Extension Office.553-3238
What:4-H Culture Enrichment Camp Sxn II
Where: W.S. Indian Reservation
Contact: Extension Office.553-3238
What: Wasco County Fair
Where:Tygh Valley
Contact: O.S.U. Extension Office54 1-296-5494
August 26th- September 6th, 1999
What:Oregon State Fair Fair
Where: Salem
Contact: State Fairgrounds503-378-3247
by Texas Bob
Unless you've been living in a cave some
where northeast of Tonopah, you've no doubt
heard about this Y2K thing and reasons why
we need to be worried.
Well, I wasn't concerning myself with it
much until recent circum-stances struck me
pretty hard. Last July, for instance, I went
down home to the ranch back in Texas. The
drought had gotten so bad that the cows were
eating mesquite bark, as all the prickly pear
had been burned and consumed way earlier.
Cracks in the ground swallowed whole trees.
Wildfires grew rampant. Moreover, what
few saddle-horses left on the range that were
still alive were probably not going to be for
long. Not a very welcome homecoming. So
while there, my family and I made the rueful
decision to sell off half the cows we had left
from a previous drought-related dispersal
twd years before. ,? .. -. . . .,.
Then in October, four of the remaining
cows floated away to the Gulf of Mexico
during a horrific bout of flooding. At the
time, the Nueces River swelled to three miles
wide!
Sure, they were only cows. But, what
kind of run of bad luck is that, anyway? One
that I'd like not to have to repeat anytime
soon.
Well, what's any of this got to do with
Garden tour set
The Central Oregon Master Gardener Asso
ciation, in conjunction with Oregon State Uni
versity Extension Service is conducting their
annual Garden Tour in Madras, Prineville,
Redmond, Bend and surrounding areas. The
Central Oregon Tour of selected gardens is July
10th, 1999.
Please call or mail names, telephone number
and address of gardeners who want to partici
pate in the Garden Tour by June 1st. Address:
Deschutes Co. Extension, co Cheryl Crane;
1421 S. Hwy. 97; Redmond, OR 97756.
For further information contact Susan
Strawn, chair person of the Garden Tour or
Cheryl Crane, Educational Horticulture Assis
tant at the Deschutes County Extension office,
541-5488-6088 ext. 5.
Y2K anyway? Well, it is clear that disasters
don't happen only to livestock. Take the
Northeast a few weeks ago. Would you not
assume that it would take quite a blizzard to
completely shut down the City of Buffalo,
New York?
It probably wouldn't take much more than
that kind of blizzard to seriously interrupt an
otherwise comfortable life here in Central
Oregon.
Think about it, how many times did the
power go out during that brief cold spell we
had last Christmas?
My point is even if a terrible Y2K computer-related
disaster doesn't occur, it is wise
to keep a few emergency items handy. A
severing of water, power, or phone service
may happen anytime.
There are six basics you should stock:
water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and
bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and
items required by family members with spe
cial requirements.
The Extension Service has been given the
responsibility to provide information regard
ing Y2K. And so, later this spring we will
offer disaster preparedness instruction to talk
further about the items mentioned above.
And just to be on the safe side, maybe I'll
spend next New Year's Eve at Tonopah
Parenting Series
When: Monthly
Time: 5:30 PM
Where: Education Build
ing
DATES TOPIC
May 20-Summertime ac
tivities - what to do witl
your child?
.11
The OSU
;Office; would v
like to wish
everyone a very
"Happy
Mother's Day"
"Graze right to
prevent
poisoning
By Bob Pawelek
Lupine is a beautiful wildflower, but it
can also be deadly.
With a little common sense, however, the
stockman can graze pastures with lupine as
long as a few rules of good range manage
ment and livestock husbandry are carefully
followed:
Don't misuse the range so as to bring
about the invasion of new poisonous spe
cies, or spreading those already present.
Avoid pastures with overabundance of
poisonous plants.
Move animals slowly through areas
where poisonous plants are present.
Animals forced to remain on the range
after they have used good forage species
will eventually turn to poisonous plants.
When animals have been deprived of
forage, as during trailing or corralling, they
should not be put on ranges containing
poisonous species until they are well fed.
Provide plenty of fresh water so they
will not be encouraged to eat excess amounts
of forbs to compensate for lack of water.
Use plenty of salt and mineral.
Most poisonous plants are not danger
ous to animals, except in large amounts.
STOCKMAN'S ROUNDUP: Getting it right from the start-
. r -I i i
-09
by Bob Pawelek
OSU Livestock Agent
Getting It Right from the Start
Planning a new garden can be a great
deal of fun. The opportunity to act as
creator can be very appealing. But anyone
who has gardened for long has learned the
necessity of accommodating nature and
has developed a sense of humility in the
process.
The hardest thing to convince new gar
deners of is the need for patience. With the
first w arm day of spring they are eager to
begin planting and nothing can stop them.
Many of these bursts of enthusiasm yield
ill-conceived gardens doomed to failure.
The plants wither and the would-be gar
deners become convinced that they lack some
secret knowledge or inherent skill. In most of
these cases, however, a few hours of plan
ning and preparation would have made all
the difference. It is quite easy to dig up a plot
and throw some plants in the ground. It is
another thing entirely to create a healthy,
living garden.
What Will Grow There?
The first thing to determine is what will
grow in the spot available for your garden.
This is where many gardeners make their
first mistake. Too often plants are purchased
before thought has been given to the condi
tions under which they will have to grow.
The three chief factors determining what
will grow in a particular spot are sunlight, the
composition of the soil and soil moisture.
While you can have some influence on soil
composition and moisture, as far as sunlight
goes, you're stuck with what you have. It is
important to have a good idea of what amount
of sunlight will reach your garden through
out the year. Plants that require "full sun"
will generally need at least 6 hours of direct
sunlight a day. Patches under large decidu
ous shade trees receive only mottled sun
light. In this situation there can be large
variations in the amount of light hitting nearby
spots, so generally you will want to find
plants that require "half sun," or a few hours
of direct sun a day. Other sites, like the north
side of a building, are going to remain in
i
shade year-round. The shade garden requires
the most caretul planning, out mere are many
wonderful plants that will thrive in the dark
est of shade.
The Lay of the Land
Next, you will need to determine what
type of soil you'll be working with. The three
main constituents of soil are sand, silt and
clay. Sand has the largest particles and clay
has the smallest, which is why it packs so
tightly together. Silt particles are of interme
diate size. An ideal garden soil, or loam,
would be about 40 sand, 40 silt and 20
clay. The easiest way to see what type of soil
you have is to dig a few holes and take some
samples. There are a number of simple tests
you can do to determine the composition of
soil. One method is to take a fistful of soil and
squeeze it into a ball. If it is unable to hold its
shape, your soil is probably too loose, or
sandy. Now try to break the ball apart by
pressing on it with your thumb. A good soil
will break apart readily; if not, you probably
have too much clay in your soil.
Another method is to take a couple of cups
of soil and put them in a half-gallon jar half
filled with water. Agitate the mixture until
all the soil is in suspension and then let it
settle overnight. The next day you will see
that three distinct layers have formed: sand at
the bottom, then the silt and at the top a layer
of clay.
Amending Your Soil
The best way to amend a poor soil, whether
sandy, clay or silty, is to add organic matter.
If your soil is high in sand or silt, add a
combination of topsoil and peat moss or
compost. (Always moisten peat moss before
adding it to your soil.) If the problem is too
much clay, add peat moss or compost and
some sand. Many
gardeners advise never adding sand to soil
as it can sometimes create a kind of concrete.
I have found this to be the case when dealing
with urban soils, which can be 80 silt. But
when used in addition to organic matter, sand
can help loosen clay soils and allow for
proper drainage. If your soil is very heavy,
i.e., high in clay, you may want to work with
a raised bed. This will provide your plants
with a little more drainage than they might
have otherwise and won't entail replacing
several tons of soil. Landscape timber or
stones can be used to create a short wall
several inches high, or the soil can be gently
sloped to prevent erosion
Keeping a Watch on Moisture
Soil moisture is obviously tied to the cli
mate of the area where you live, but even in
a small yard there can be wide variations. If
your garden is at the bottom of a hill, the soil
may remain wet for long periods of time. In
this situation, you can try creating a raised
bed as mentioned above, but it is best to stick
to plants that enjoy having their feet wet.
Alternatively, if your plot is very dry, don't
assume you'll be able to compensate by
frequent w atering. Select plants that will be
happy in a dry place and you'll be able to take
that two-week vacation without worrying
whether your neighbor has remembered to
water every day for you.
Don't Fight Mother Nature
While some measures can be taken to
make your garden a hospitable place for
particular plants, your experience will be
much more rewarding if you learn to work
with nature. Yes, you may be able to plant
your rose garden in that shady spot, but
you'll need to feed the roses more fertilizer
and spray more fungicide, and they still won't
look as nice as if they were planted in full
sun. And azaleas in bloom might look great
at the front of your south-facing home, but if
they were planted beneath some protection
from the sun, they might not be constantly
infested with lace bugs. Of course, you can
spray them regularly with insecticide, but
now your garden is becoming about as envi
ronmentally friendly as an oil refinery. Learn
to work with nature and you will save your
self a lot of time, money and grief.