MORROW SWCD ANNUAL REPORT
The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, March 2, 1978 THREE
Mandatory Conservation may be
in farmers' futures
JSection 208 has
Eastern Oregon
Farmers and
conservation
directors running
scared.
By KEN TURNER
Water Quality Committee
Section 208 of the federal Environmental Protection
Agnecy 's clean water act has Eastern Oregon Farmers
and conservation directors running scared and
defensive.
If the mandate is to be carried out, silt and sediment
yield from non-point sources such as our farmland
must be further reduced. Summerfallow fields produce
lots of silt during a bad erosion winter such as this past
one.
It is not clear at this point just how severe the soil
loss standards might be set, not who will enforce these
standards.
Local control based on broad local input is the time,
honored way and the Department of Environmental -Quality
(DEQ) is Oregon's arm of the EPA, designated
to implement 208. The DEQ appears to be pushing local
control.
The burden now shifts to the local Soil and Water
Conservation District. The catch is for the SWCD to
convince the DEQ it can get the job done and
hoDefully on a voluntary basis.
If it's going to voluntary then the responsibility sits
squarely on the individual farmer's shoulders and the
county collectively. It's an opportunity for farmers to
continue the good work they've been doing and in some
cases go much further. It appears cost sharing for
terrace construction will be on a more consistant and
dependable basis.
This is the key to success. Morrow County leads the
state in conservation work.
The job to be done includes complete field terracing;
intensively designed and close enough spacing on
critical areas. Some grass seeding may be needed and
Best Management Practices (BMP) be applied. BMP
include stubble mulch, minimum tillage, early
seeding, contour farming and all farming techniques
now proven to stop eroision.
New herbicides and technology are needed and will
be used as they come along, but it can hardly be argued
that diversion terraces should not have been in place 60
years ago and a lot of top-soil would not have been lost.
Feasiblity and economics has to be part of the formula
with a lot of reason and logic but, if we don't made
good, rapid progress, mandatory controls in the form
of ordinances written by the outside sgencies is a very
real threat.
Looking
back
at
1977
Accomplished
last year
Completed Phase I of the Heppner Water Control
District (HWCD) Critical Area Treatment Project.
This included 45 miles of terraced ditches, 90 debris
basins, six acres of sod waterway and 84 acres of
critical area seeding.
Construction started on the second phase of the
HWCD project this past summer. There were 60
debris basins built. Construction will continue this
spring on approximately six miles of terraces.
The design of the third phase of the HWCD project
was completed. Two acres of sod waterway was
constructed this past fall. Construction will begin
this spring on terraces and debris basins.
Participated in the development of the present 208
Morrow County Plan. Inventories and Uest
Management Practices have been provided to date.
The final correlation of soils has been completed in
Morrow County and a draft soil survey manuscript
prepared. The published soil survey manuscript
will be available in approximately two years.
Provided resource information to the local
communities and Morrow County Planning
Commission for their compliance with LCDC
guidelines.
Provided support to the Columbia-Blue Mountain
Resource Conservation and Development Project.
Supported the Navy Bombing Range Development.
Supported the National and Oregon Associations of
Districts. Provided funds for the development of
their programs.
Other Accomplishments :
Numbers Amount
Terraces
Ponds
Tile drainage
Irrigation systems
Irrigation mainline
Spring development
ACP referrals
Range & pasture
seedings
Waterways
Farm plans
Individuals assisted
Technical assistances
Individuals Technical Assistance
Units of government
New Cooper a tors
40,823 feet
31
9029 feet
17 436 acres
26,888 feet
288 acres
10 acres
2 776 acres
109
488
36
7,401 acres
...and ahead
to a busy
1978
This years objectives
Complete Morrow County's 208 non-point source
pollution plan. Develop an acceptable implementa
tion program for compliance with PL 92-500.
Develop a Natural Resource Conservation Program
for Morrow County. Identify problems and
opportunities within the county, define critical
erosion areas, and establish priorities.
Arrange for the inclusion of the Natural Resource
Conservation Program into Morrow County's
Comprehensive Plan.
Develop a memorandum of understanding with the
County Court so that the above conservation
program can be carried out effectively.
Continue emphasis for the completion of the
Heppner Water Control District Critical Area
Treatment Project. Progress is expected on the
following phases:
Phase II complete construction of six miles of
terraces and approximately 20 acres of critical
area seeding.
Phase III let bid and start construction of
75,000 feet of terraces and 50 debris basins.
Phase IV start design on channel drop
structures.
Support proposed RC&D measures in Morrow
County. Develop an inventory and evaluation on the
Juniper Creek S.E. Land Treatment Measure.
Continue to stress the protection of our soil
resources with structural as well as agronomic
practices. Increase follow-up assistance to our
cooper a tors to get conservation achieved.
Continue emphasis on conservation education.
Assist on grade school tours.
I