Water-master's Report for the SWCD
Special Farm Section, Thursday, March 1, 1984 FIVE
1983 was the year that water
was discovered by the politicians.
The Legislature did four things
concerning water this last ses
sion, They failed to reconfirm
Jim Sox son as Water Resources
Director. William Young has
been appointed the new Director.
Dill was the Director of the
Department of Environmental
Quality, and Is well thought of.
The legislature passed SB 225
which required the Departments
of Fish and Wildlife, and Envi
ronmental Quality to make
recommendations for seventy
five high priority minimum
stream flows. The Waer Policy
Review Board is to complete its
deliberatins and makes its deci
sions by January 1, 1986. Mini
mum flows have been recom
mended on the Walla Walla
River, Birch Creek, Umatilla
Hiver, and the John Day River.
The third water related activity
was the passing of SB 223 which
required the Governor to form a
task force of other state agencies
to help the Water Resources
Department form a unified water
management system. This is
being done now, except the
Emergency Board has not yet
approved any money for it.
The fourth thing the Legisla
ture did was create a Legislative
Interim Committee on Water.
This is a permanent committee to
study water related problems
and propose new legislation. This
is another result of the new
political awareness of water and
water problems.
There have also been changes
in the local Watermaster's office.
Larry Nunn replaces Steve Ap
plegate as Watermaster.
The Watermaster's office now
Soil management
Why bother ?
Preventing soil erosion on your
Held is just plain good sense!
It follows the same principle as
the regular maintenance you do
on your larm machinery.
It costs you money to grease
and oil, to change the points or
put in a new air filter but you
know that in the long run you'll
save money. Your machinery
will last longer, you'll get top
performance and your machi
nery, say your tractor, is not as
likely to breakdown when you're
counting on it.
Well It's the same with your
soil!
Take care of it now and in 10-20
years it will still be performing
for you.
And think about this:
If your tractor gets too old and
tired you can always go and buy a
new one.
But if your land gives up,
you're out of luck. They aren't
making any more of it... The
manufacturer closed his door
after the last ice age 10,000
years ago!
(Reprinted from "Talk of the
Thames." by Jane Sadler, Agronomist.)
holds office days at the Morrow
County Public Works Building in
Lexington, on the first and third
Fridays of each month. The hours
are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Appointments are helpful, but not
needed. Well logs and water right
records are now available, as
well as blank application forms.
There are several things hap
pening locally in relation to
water. The Water Resources De
partment is again studying the
Butter Creek Groundwater Area.
The current plan is to hold a
public hearing to determine if a
Critical Groundwater Area
should be declared, in, possibly,
June. An order will then be
issued, probably in the fall, either
declaring a Critical Groundwater
Area, or canceling the procee
ding. Groundwater studies are also
underway in the rest of the
Umatilla Structural Basin to
determine what additional
Ground water Study Areas are
needed. In addition, the U.S.
Geological Survey is beginning to
study the area, including the
Washington side of the basin. The
state and USGS are cooperating
in the Umatilla Basin, as we have
done for several years now.
The Willow Creek Dam is
beginning to fill. Water Right
applications have been filed by
the Morrow County Court for the
stored water for irrigation and
recreation. The irrigation por
tions of the permits are being
assigned to the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation. The USBR is
working with a local group to
market the stored irrigation
water.
267 N, Main,
Heppner OR
676-9141
Abrams, Kuhn
and Spicer
Attorneys at Law
206 Main St., PO Box 30,
Eoardman, OR
481-5433
We pride ourselves on
being your fully stocked
farm and home lumber yard.
Building Supplies
Fireplaces
o Paint & Pcneling
Septic Tanks
Windows
Roofing
Glass
Lexington
Lumberyard
Lexington 989-8586
Morrow Co. receives
$216,087 from ASCS
During fiscal year 1983 (October 1, 1982 September 30, 1983) the
Agricultural Stabilisation and Conservation Service spent $216,087.00
on Morrow County cost-shared acres, according to Judy Buschke,
County Executive Director. Following is s breakdown according to
cost-share practice:
Program Practice Acres Paid
Acres Cost-Share
SL15 No-Till Systems
SLM Reduced Tillage Systems
SL1 Permanent Vegetative
Cover Establishment
SL2 Permanent Vegetative Co
verage Improvement
WP1 Sediment Retention, Ero
sion or water control structure
WC4 Irrigation Water Con
vat'on SLC - Grazing Land Protection
SL4 Terrace Systems
SP35 - Water management sys
tem for pollution control
FR2 Forest Tree Stand
Improvement
LTA's
SP35 Water Management Sys-,
tern for pollution control
SL14 Reduced Tillage Systems
SL15 No-Till Systems
SL4 Terrace Systems
Served
1.240.3 1,442.0 $23,985.00
5.662.4 12,638.4 70,589.00
81.0 81.0 4,744.00
250.0 250.0 2,458.00
10.0 10.0 1,388.00
ISO 13.0 512.00
1,505.0 1,505.0 2,314.00
1,151.0 1,151.0 37,923.00
38.0 38.0 3,500.00
66.0 66.0 4,520.00
20.0 20.0 3,463.00
100.0 100.0 1,250.00
31.0 31.0 620.00
1,685.0 1-685.0 58,821.00
Equipiraeni Repair
& CuSi'orQi Feibrlcca tfion
Quiz continued...
Answers from Conservation 1. f, 2. d, 3. c, 4. b, 5. b, 6. d, 7. d,
Quiz on page 2 8 (your answer) 9. b, 10. e,
A I """
O No-Till Drill llenfals
$7 per acre. Includes 31 ft of drills, 3 sections; Hillside
Hydraulic Hitch & a, 1000 gallon Liquid Fertilizer Unit
oBcalo Forks o Truck Beds
MILLER & SONS WELDING
Linden Way Heppner 676-9613