OREGON
The Oregon Nonpoint Source Management Program is
part of the state's clean water strategy. This issues-oriented program is
organized statewide and by source categories. The program includes assessing
waterbody conditions and causes, communicating needs and priorities to
decisionmakers, solving problems, evaluating land use practices, and enforcing
standards.
Nitrate Concentrations Foster Grassroots Actions
When nitrate concentrations exceeded the state's
groundwater standards, Northern Malheur County in southeast Oregon was declared
a groundwater management area under provisions of the Oregon Groundwater
Protection Act. The Groundwater Protection Act directs that a committee be
established to develop and implement an action plan to address the groundwater
problems and prevent future problems. The committee includes representatives
from state water quality, agriculture, and health agencies; federal
agricultural agencies; the farming community; and local officials. Since 1990,
nearly $700,000 of section 319 grant funds have been used to implement the
action plan, with matching funds from federal, state, and private organizations
and agencies.
The action plan strategies include developing:
- Best management practices to control nitrate
leaching to groundwater;
- Education and outreach programs for the farming
and general community about groundwater problems and the BMPs being developed
to address them; and
- Technical and financial assistance to help
farmers adopt the BMPs into their operations.
Nitrogen application has been reduced in several ways. First, farmers
learned that the fall nitrogen application was unnecessary and began to
eliminate it. Then, a simple $30 soil test showed that in many cases residual
nitrogen already in the soil is sufficient for crops--this often eliminates the
need for a spring application. Although - initially unconvinced, one farmer
agreed to apply nitrogen to only half a field--and saw no difference in the
crops. Farmers are attracted to this BMP as much for its cost savings as for
its potential to improve water quality.
Another way to reduce nitrogen is through crop
rotation. Farmers are following crops that have poor nitrogen uptakes such as
onions with deep rooted crops--such as wheat, barley, and sugar beets--that sop
up the excess nitrogen. Wariness has been replaced by enthusiasm. Now that
influential farmers are accepting the best management practices, others will
follow. In addition to supporting BMP development, section 319 funds are
supporting two positions at the Malheur County Soil and Water Conservation
District. These staffers educate and assist the farming community and work
one-on-one with farmers to design farmer management plans using new
practices.
While monitoring will not show a reduced nitrogen
level in the groundwater for several more years--existing nitrogen must work
its way through the soil--no new nitrogen is being added to filter through to
the groundwater. And more and more farmers are seeing the advantages in the new
methods, both in water quality improvements and in their bottom lines.
Education, outreach, and assistance to farmers has been key to the success
using section 319 funds.
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