Heppner gazette-times., February 05, 1976, Page 4 and 5, Image 15

HEPPNER WATER CONTROL DISTRICT BOUNDARY
PHASE II J I
PHASE III Qsw I PHASE I
p H A s E 17
Y SCALE KW I
miles
Heppner treatment projecf ncars start
PieS
The Heppner Critical Area
Treatment Project which pro
vides for land stabilization
and sediment control for the
local area will start construc
tion this spring, according to
Claude Buschke, chairman of
the Heppner Water Control
District. The project is a
cooperative effort between the
Heppner WCD, Morrow
SWCD. Columbia -Blue Moun
tain Resource Conservation
and Development Project and
the Soil Conservation Service.
The entire projrct
IOC square miles and includes
the major drainage of W0
km, ILnton and Btlm Fork
Creeks. This measure is divi
ded into five phases with the
first four phases consisting of
diversion -ditches and silt
dams. The fifth phase will be
aimed at sUbilustiaa of the
channels.
The initial phase consists of
324.000 feet of diversion dit
ches and 0 erosion control
dams. It covers an area of 3s
square miles and includes If
landowners.
The second phase will cover
approximately a square buJ
es with IS landowners nrvtrfv
ed. Tentative starting sched
ule wi3 be later this fa! or
spring of 1977.
Cost share assistance is
provided at the rate of 75 per
cent by the Columbia Blue
Mountain RCA D Project and
10 per cent by the Heppner
WCD. The landowner pars the
remaining U per cent.
Soil loss and future controls
As you may well be aware,
any soil loss is detrimental to
the potential and future of
your cropland as well as your
own viability in the farming
business. But not only this,
there is a new burden that
may be facing fanners very
soon in the way of federal and
state regulations affecting
sedimentation.
The Federal Water Pollu
tion Control Act of 1973 has
given the Environmental Pro
tection Agency the responsi
bility of providing guidance to
states for sedimentation con
trol and meeting water quality
standards. If it comes to this,
soil and water districts such
as the Morrow SWCD could
play a very important coordi
nating role between federal,
state and local agencies in soil
conservation.
Districts of course have the
intimate knowledge of local
conditions. But of equal im
portance, they can utilize this
network of cooperative ar
rangements with various ag
encies which can provide
assistance on resource con
servation and which directly
relates to the control of sedi
ment. One such tool that may play
an important role in sedimeo- -tation
regulations is the sod
loss equation. It is a method on
estimating soil loss at deve
loped by the Agricultural .
Research Service tn coopera
tion with the Soil Conservation
Service and various state
experiment stations. This eq
uation takes into considera
tion all aspects of the soil.
climatic conditions and man
agement methods wed hi
farming. The final result is an
estimated loss in tons per acre
per year. This is then compar
ed to quality standards that
have been set as to permis
sible sod loss.
Some of the contributing
factors to erosion cannot be
changed such as the amount of
rainfall, the type of soQ and
the percent of slope. Others,
however, can be controlled by
you as managers of the land.
Manipulating tillage methods
such as contouring versus op .
and down hill farming, the
amount of residue or stabble
on the soil surface, or break
ing up the length of slope by
use of divers ditches er
terraces can influence dra
matically the actual loss.
More importantly, quality
standards can usually be
achieved to meet the maxi
mum permissible soil loss by
varying these factors in i
degree.
The Port of Morrow has a soft spot
in their hearts for the Soil and Water
Conservation people's help in siting
power plants in Morrow County.
Good Fortune at your annual meeting.
Oscar Peterson, Pres.
Port of Morrow Commission
X Marine Drlvo
BOARDM AN, Oregon 97018