The Gaiette-Tlmes, lleppner, Oregon, Thursday, February 2t. 1MI FIVE
Conservation
complimenting each other
Morrow County began lining
the Level Terrace Systems in
197B. During that year 78,000
linear feet were constructed.
In 1979 the footage Increased
to 236,000 LF and in 1980
3CUKH) LF were Installed. The
year 1981 will show an
increuse in excess of 25
percent over the previous
year. Yes, over a million LF of
terraces are performing their
intended function, to protect
the land resource from rill and
gully erosion.
Rill and gully erosion, of
course, are very visible as we
pass through the countryside.
Erosion which can not be seen
but which can be measured is
of great concern in our effort
to provide soil loss protection
on all lands.
Sheet and wind erosion,
hardly visible, but hazardous
to the hoi I surface can erode
away two to five tons per
acre per -year of topsoil. This
type of erosion can be greatly
reduced by proper use of crop
residues. Stubble remaining
from grain crops produced
previously make up most of
the residue available to us for
the beginning of what we call
'Conservation Tillage Sys
tem." By proper placement of
about 12.ri0 lbs. of residue
within the top one or two
inches of the soil profile we
can minimize the sheet and
wind erosion to a much more
acceptable loss.
How much residue is pro
duced from one acre of
harvested wheat? Kach
bushel of wheal harvested will
yield approximately HMI lbs. of
residue. Thus a crop yield of
twenty-five husnvls per acre
would provide 2rlMl lbs of crop
residue to begin your tillage
(iH'nili(ins
What happens to the residue
when the tillage operations
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Tillage-Terrace system,
begin? Each tillage operation
starts the residue depletion
process.
The following operations are
examples of how a variety of
tillage tools deplete the sur
face residue.
Plow - Reduces Surface
Residue 80 percent;
Heavy Disc - Reduces Sur
face Residue 50 percent ;
Chisel - Reduces Surface
Residue 25 percent
Rod Weeder - Reduces
Surface Residue 10 percent ;
Deep Furrow Drill
Reduces Surface Residue 20
percent.
As the figures above indi
cate, your choice of imple
ments are most important in
managing the residues you
have available. The wrong
choices rob you of a valuable
erosion control product and
result in the Joss of soil.
To maintain 1250 lbs. of
residue in the top one or two
inches of the soil profile one
example of a tillage operation
could be: Chisel twice, rod
weed three times and seed
with a deep furrow drill.
If a heavy duty disc is your
choice to replace one of the
alxive Chisel operations, an
additional 25 percent of resi
due would be removed from
the soil surface, leaving only
iki lbs. of residue to protect
the soil from erosion. This will
not provide the protection
needed for sheet or wind
erosion.
Soil tillh and fertility con
tinue lu lc important factors
in the ability of soil to produce
crops to its capability. All
tillage oerations have an
adverse effect on the soil
structure. Minimize your til
lage operations to achieve
your production goals. Use the
most current technology. Con-
sider the use of chemicals in
your operation. Conservation
does pay. If we can assist you
in your decision making, stop
by and let's find out which
alternatives you have and how
they may fit into your pro
gram of conservation on yours
and America's number one
resource, land.
Elk numbers
evaluated
Last March, during the
annual meeting of the Morrow
County Soil and Water Conser
vation District, the Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wildlife presenled a program
concerning the establishment
of Management Objective
levels lor future management
of deer and elk in Eastern
Oregon.
Development of the objec
tives required an intensive
examination of each deer and
elk population history from
data collected in the various
units over the past decade.
The herd levels proposed as
the objective were based on
what each big game range
should be able to support
without adding problems on
private lands.
Since the presentation of the
Management Objective levels
last March, the objectives
have received only minor
refinements and a great deal
of public disclosure. Starting
January 12. 1981, the Manage
ment Objectives are being
explained at a series of Town
Hall meetings. A total of 22
such public meetings have
Ix-en scheduled, ending with a
March 2.rth meeting in Bend.
Oregon.
Written comments concern
ing the Management Objec
tives will be received by the
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife Commissioners
until June 30. 1981. If you have
concerns or comments, they
should le mailed to: Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wildlife. P.O. Box 3503. Port
land. Oregon 97208.
111
us
LJ
Agricultural
High interest in
cost-share program
The Morrow County Agri
cultural Stabilization and Con
servation Service office paid
out $92,650 in cost-shares to
Morrow County farmers in
1980 through the Agricultural
Conservation Program. The
practice most used was ter
races, but other practices
such as sod waterways, grass
seedings, conservation tillage,
irrigation water conservation,
forest thinning, debris basins,
livestock wells and spring
developments were also used.
In addition to the annual
program a special project was
started in 1980 with special
funding received from the
Slate ASC Committee. The
project is known as the
"Jordan Canyon Project" and
consists of 19 farms and
covers approximately 9,800
acres of cropland. This is a
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joint effort by all the farmers
in the project' area to treat
what is considered an area
with severe erosion problems.
The total treatment of
Jordan Canyon will consist of
approximately 838,360 feet of
terraces and 9,800 acres of
conservation tillage. Addition
al treatment includes water
ways and debris basins. It is
estimated that the Jordan
Canyon Project will take eight
to 10 years to complete. To
date. 126.330 feet of terraces
have been completed, protect
ing 1.335 acres. Cost-shares
paid out or to be paid on
terracing are $35,000.
Currently there are seven
Long Term Agreements
(LTA) with farmers for treat
ing a designated field with
conservation practices over a
three to five year period.
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