Diversion Terraces Are Important Soil Erosion G Sedimentation
Control
5 lit '' -
By DON BELLAMY
Silt coming from the dryland
farming areas of Morrow
County creates a major water
pollution problem. The steep
slopes and the depth and type of
soil are some of the reasons for
large soil losses during cloud
bursts and winter runoffs.
Diversion terraces is one type
of conservation practice used to
slow the amount of erosion and
soil loss. Other practices such
as strip cropping, contour
farming and grass seedings
may be used in conjunction with
diversions but it takes the
diversion to give complete
control.
Diversions are constructed
around and above the area to be
protec ted on a grade of 0.8 to 1.5
feet of fall per 100 feet of length.
The diversion removes the
volume of water, which would
otherwise run straight down the
slope and off the field, and
transports it to a natural
drainage. This natural drainage
is shaped and seeded into a
grassed waterway for protec
tion of the channel. Dams may
be constructed across this
waterway for channel protec
tion and for holding water and
accumulating what silt does
come from the field.
Between the diversions, grass
may be seeded on shallow soil
area or slopes which are too
steep or odd shaped for con
tinued farming. Alternate strips
of grain and fallow can be used
between the diversions to give
added control. These should be
layed out after the diversion is
built.
Removing much of the excess
water with diversions and used
in combination with the other
practices gives a very effective
control in the dryland grain
growing areas. Most farms
have a need for additional
diversions and it is cheaper by
far to keep the soil on the farm
than it is to dredge from the
river, from reservoirs or to
clean from, our streets and
highways.
Rhea Crook
By BHYCE KEKNK
The Rhea Creek Watershed
Project was first started in 1963,
sponsored by the Heppner Soil
and Water Conservation Dis
trict. Application for assistance
under Public Law 566 was made
in August of that year. Since
that time a great deal of work
and study has been put forth by
the State Engineers office and
the members of the Heppner
SWCD. In 1968 the State
Engineers began its study of
feasible sites and costs, and
determined the site at the
Ruggs Ranch was the most
suitable. Core drilling was
made and a Preliminary Inves
tigation Report was submitted
in the fall of 1972, showing a
benefit to cost ratio of 1.1 : 1.0.
The farmers and interested
parties will be called to meet
in the near future and this
Preliminary Investigation
Report will be presented to
them.
COLUMBIA - BLl'E MTN.
RC&DBOAKD
ELECTED
Reelected Ed Hoeft, Pilot
Rock, as president. Other
officers are Marion Weather
ford, Arlington, first vice presi
dent: Wheeler County Judge
A.E.Leckie, second vice presi
dent; Morrow County Judge
Paul Jones, third vice presi
dent; Bill Thomas, Grant
County rancher, fourth vice
president; Ralph Smuckle,
Weston rancher, secretary;
Russell Erickson. Condon
rancher, treasurer.
By KEN TURNER
A new dimension to soil
erosion control is appearing in
the form of allowable standards
of soil loss being set by law.
Two states, Ohio and Penn
slyvania, now have laws which
prohibits soil loss and soil
sediment pollution beyond
certain guidelines. Nearly all
states are considering similar
legislation. Oregon will have
this, the Model State Act for
Erosion and Sedimentation
Control, introduced in the 1973
legislature. Environmental
concern throughout the nation
has brought about this pressure.
An expressed goal of the
federal Environmental Protec
tion Agency (EPA) is that an
upland tributary shall not add to
a downstream, more sediment
that the downstream river is
already carrying. This criteria
could cause our Willow Creek
Watershed some problems.
Major sources of soil sedi
ment are primarily logging,
construction and farming. Our
summerfallow in the Columbia
Basin farmlands are unchal
lenged as the greatest problem
area. Steep sloping unprotected
summerfallow contributes ex
cessive amounts of sediment.
Light soils contributing to air
pollution from wind erosion is
also sited.
Is Erosion To Be Illegal
Farmers are not going to be
legislated out of business, but
more conservation work is
going to have to be done. It will,
however, take an all out effort
on many farms to be within the
allowable standards. Some crop
land may have to go back to
grass eventually.
The important point is that
the burden of responsibility is
placed on the farmer and the
local SWCD, where farm co
operators and others will have
the major voice in setting up
realistic standards and solu
tions. It will be a self-help and
locally regulated project by
design, but the results will have
to be better than in the past.
An alarmist point of view is
that if voluntary and a local
approach is not more effective
and does not stop the excessive
soil loss the EPA or the DEQ
will step in and enforce it in a
way we might find hard to live
with.
District Annual Report
i
White's Grading
Service
Tel. 422-7260 a 422-7213
i
lone
Grading
and
Earth Moving
Number Units
New Cooperators ' 1 19,038 acres
Services to Individuals 612
Detailed Soil Survey 84,900 acres
Conservation Flans 4 53,895 acres
Conservation Plans Revised 4 13,955 acres
Units of Government Assisted 11
Services to Groups 112
Chiseling and Subsoiling 210 acres
Conservation Cropping System 2,630 acres
Contour Farming 2,401 acres
Crop Residue Management 2,756 acres
Critical Area Planting 172 acres
Debris Basin 33
Deferred Grazing . 2,923 acres
Diversion 365,148 feet
Pond 1
Grassed Waterway 11 acres
Irrigation Pipeline 34,999 feet
Irrigation System, Sprinkler H 1,914 acres
Irrigation Water Management 625 acres
Land Leveling 58 acres
Minimum Tillage 1,957 acres
Pasture & Hayland Management 615 acres
Pasture & Hayland Planting 528 acres
Pipeline for Livestock Water 21,271 feet
Proper Grazing Use 3,251 acres
Range Seeding 237 acres
Spring Development 1
Stock Trail 15,840 feet
Stripcropping 50 acres
Structure for Water Control 31
Well 8
Woodland Improvement 126 acres
Land Adequately Treated 13,496 acres
Tough Erosion Law Proposed
Courtesy of Southern Umatilla SWCD
The Oregon Soil and Water Commission is preparing legislation
for the next legislature that will make it a misdemeanor for a
farmer or land developer to change the land surface in any manner
without an adequate plan to keep the land from eroding. The intent
of the legislation is to protect landowners from indiscriminate
neighbors.
The legislation proposed to reduce damage from sediment to
lakes, rivers and adjacent lands by placing the responsibility for a
negligent act of leaving the soil unprotected on the landowner or
developer.
The Commission will have the responsibilty for developing a
state-wide erosion control plan. Each Soil and Water Conservation
District will then develop standards for their District. These
Standards will be used to determine if the land use change is being
carried out with adequate erosion protection standards.
This legislation, if passed, will have some very definite impacts
on future farming operations. Changes will have to be made in the
present large single field methods of farming in the Columbia
Basin counties of Oregon.
This legislation would reduce the dust problems that have been
occurring in Northern Umatilla County where large blocks of land
are coming under irrigation. It would require the land developer to
provide adequate ground stabilizing methods before removing
present natural cover.
With this legislation the future should see more windbreaks,
stripcropping, terracing and other cultural practices reminiscent
of the midwest.
Paul Pettyjohn Co.
OBI
DISTRIBUTOR
Jono
Distributor for
Chipman Chemicals
Stauffer Chemicals
All Types of Farm Chemicals Available
Serving Morrow & Gilliam Counties
Telephone 422-7254