The GaxeU-TIme.,Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, February 26, 1981 SEVEN
Meeting the needs
of a county-wide
conservation district
By C.R. MCEI.I.IGOTT, Chairman
Morrow SWC'D
The conservation needs vary greatly from one end of the
county to the other. We not only have the obvious differences
in altitude, climate and land usage, but we also have great
variation in land ownership patterns. We will recognize the
needs of the dry land wheat growing area and are meeting
those problems subject to limitations in personnel and cost
sharing funds, Farmers are now willing to carry out
conservation programs faster than we are able to meet their
goals. Barring an economic downturn we feel that we can '
make constant progress in caring for the dry farming area.
As for rangelands, there are few conservation problems that
require either great manpower or funding. In general the
greatest rangeland need is for livestock management, both
domestic and wild, stocking rate, seasons of use and
distribution on the range. This can be done by water
development, fencing and hunting or wildlife management.
There is some need for range reseeding and weed control, but
there is no severe erosion or water quality problem in our
local rangeland.
Forestry problems are addressed by the Oregon Forest
Practices Act and by U.S. Forest Service regulations. The
greatest problem on private forest land is in the cost of
reforestation and thinning. These are economic problems
that will need to be addressed by state and federal law,
particularly tax laws. With the present tax laws, high
interest rates and continued inflation, it is not feasible for the
individual forest owner to put money into stand improve
ment. Here again we do not have a Bevere problem in either
soil erosion or water quality.
In the north end of the county we have seen great changes
in land use and ownership patterns in the last few years. With
large scale irrigation we see problems developing and the
potential for more in the future. As the higher ground to the
south is irrigated, the deeper profiles will eventually fill, then
water will begin a lateral movement over impervious layers
towards the river. This has already been noticed and will
quite likely become more severe in the future.
We also see the older irrigation districts being broken into
very small farms and housing tracts. Rising water tables can
and do. cause septic tank failure, can endanger, and
consequently lower properly values. Our district has had
requests for help in designing drainage systems, but often we
cannot help if the answer is to drain one property and dump
the excess water on the road or on the next lower neighbor.
With these thoughts in mind we have invited Greg Tillson to
speak at our annual meeting. Greg is an Extension Service
Community Development agent working in Polk and Benton
counties. We do not know what the greatest need is nor how
soon action must be taken, but we do feel that drainage
projects, community water or sewer systems are best and
most economically done by the community organization and
action, rather than attempting to do these things
individually. We have also invited the county court, the
county health officer, the county planner, DEQ and FHA
representatives. We hope that Mr. Tillson can generate a lot
of thought and questions and that we may have some of the
answers. We do know that the decision on a course of action
must come from the citizens in the affected area.
T3 TURNER
VAN MARTER
& BRYANT
3INSURANCE
187NOHTH mam tiut Hteewtn, omoom t;s
Oot ad youx iJniuxanct ntedi
UVCKNE VmMARTEH. J HOWARD PKTANT
mt- jjy j-t l ife .rvy
The Peterson ranch was used again jr. 1979-80. During this
particular season the field had between (MM and WOO pounds
of dry residue on or within One inch of the soil surface. The
field was drilled on a cross slope with deep furrows.
Measured erosion as K tons per acre with approximately 1.5
tons per acre leaving the field.
Water Quality Influenced
by Runoff from Cropland
The Columbia Basin Agri
cultural Research Center is
studying water quality runoff
from cropland. According to
their Best Management Prac
tices i BMP i system, which
was started in 1978. the first
BMP to Ik- evaluated was
terraces and their impacts
on eroision and water qual
ity. THe findings in 1978
indicated for a given slope
that direction of seeding (up
and down hill or cross slope)
and methods of seeding (shal
low furrow or deep furrow)
would effect erosion approx
imately as much as the
terraces.
In the fall of 1978 sites were
located on Don Peterson's
farm, Valby. Measurements
at these sites indicated an
average in field soil move
ment of 13 tons per acre with
2.9 Ions per acre reaching the
terrace outlet. The field this
year was in seeded crop.
The Peterson farm was used
again in 1979. During this year
the field had between 600-inoo
pounds of dry residue on or
within one inch of the soil
surface. The field was drilled
on a cross slope with deep
furrows. Measured erosion
was 6 tons per acre with
approximately 1.5 tons per
acre leaving the field.
This current crop year the
site was moved to the Al
Bunch ranch to reduce servic
ing time and to evaluate strip
cropping and stubble mulch
ing. The strips are between
l.'i()-2iN) fee! wide with over
1200 pounds of residue in the
top inch of soil and he has
drilled deep furrows.
From observations of stub
ble mulched fields it appears
(hat slubble mulch will
greatly reduce erosion and.
with terraces, will substan
tially improve water quality.
PS
ANY
EXCAVATING
NEED
LARGE
OR
Terracing end Diversion Ditches
Bulldozing Top Soil Lend Leveling Gravel
o Septic Tenk end Drcinfield Installation
oBeckhoe end Dump Truck
Phorw 676-5096
ROGER BRITT EXCAVATING
Licenced 1 Bonded