OREGON: AGRICULTURE PROTECTION

   STRATEGIES IN THE MCKENZIE RIVER

   WATERSHED

   The Eugene Water & Electric Board's Drinking
   Water Source Protection Strategies for

   Agriculture


   Background

   Drinking Water Source Protection
   The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) was formed in 1911 as a publicly
   owned utility to provide reliable and safe drinking water to the City of Eugene.
   Since that time, EWEB has come to rely on the McKenzie River watershed for
   power generation from its hydroelectric facilities at Carmen-Smith, Leaburg, and
   Walterville and as the sole source of drinking water for the City of Eugene.
   EWEB maintains an infrastructure in the McKenzie River watershed that consists
   of dams, canals, lakes, power generation facilities, tunnels, roads, buildings,
   electric transmission  lines, dikes, fences, and transformer substations. EWEB
   also owns property in the watershed associated with its electric generation
   facilities as well as islands, riparian areas, and upland properties.  In short, the
   McKenzie River is the lifeblood of EWEB and protection of this watershed is vital
   to EWEB and the community of Eugene.

   The overall concept of source protection is to have the ability to measure the
   balance between watershed health and human use over time and implement
   actions that maintain  a healthy balance for production of exceptional water
   quality.  This requires not only being aware of all the different human activities
   going on within the watershed, but also understanding the limits of what the river
   can handle and still maintain a high level of water quality.

   Nonpoint Sources of Pollution
   In 2005,  EWEB began focusing on assessing potential threats from nonpoint
   sources of pollution associated with agriculture, forestry, septic systems and
   development activities.  The objective of the nonpoint source subprogram is to
   inventory, track, evaluate, and monitor nonpoint sources of potential pollution
   (i.e., concentration of septic systems; agricultural activities; forest management
   activities, stormwater and urban runoff, etc.) to understand these potential threats
   and work with regulatory agencies, land owners,  and business groups to
   implement best management practices and reduce potential threats to drinking
   water. The following  discussion focuses on  assessing and working with the
   agricultural community to develop and implement long-term strategies for
   increasing the economic viability of agriculture while reducing chemical use and
   protecting a critical drinking water source.
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   In the McKenzie watershed, most agricultural land (or about 5% of the
   watershed) is located along the valley floor in close proximity to the river and
   EWEB's intake. From 1996 to 2001, a number of U.S. Geological Survey studies
   were conducted in the Willamette River Basin that looked at impacts of
   agricultural activities on streams, rivers and drinking water supplies. These
   studies show that pesticides and nutrients occurred more frequently and at
   higher concentrations at monitoring sites located in agricultural areas.

   Priority Contamination Threat

   The priority contamination threat is from nonpoint sources of potential pollution, which
   include septic systems, agricultural activities, forest management activities, stormwater
   and urban runoff, etc..

   Local Involvement and Developing the  Protection Plan

   In August 2000, EWEB completed a plan to protect the McKenzie River as the
   sole source of drinking water for the City of Eugene.  EWEB used an
   interdisciplinary team of staff from environmental management, water resources
   planning and drinking water treatment to research and write this comprehensive
   source protection plan.  The plan focused on four main areas: 1) source
   protection monitoring; 2) effective partnerships; 3) regulatory analysis; and, 4)
   environmental setting and risk assessment. EWEB solicited feedback from the
   major stakeholders in the watershed and incorporated their comments in the final
   plan approved by EWEB's Board of Directors in October 2000.

   EWEB began development of a source protection program in May 2001 that
   implements the August 2000 plan to address the various threats to water quality
   and long-term viability of the McKenzie River as a drinking water source.  EWEB
   is currently working closely and developing long-term partnerships with over 40
   agencies and watershed stakeholders  as this program is implemented in the
   watershed. EWEB's Drinking Water Source Protection Program consists of the
   following eight elements:
      •  Comprehensive Monitoring
      •  Disaster Preparedness and Response
      •  Education and Research Assistance
      •  Point Source Evaluation and Mitigation
      •  Nonpoint Source Evaluation and Mitigation
      •  Land Acquisition/Easements
      •  Public Outreach and Information Sharing
      •  Watershed Land Use Tracking

   EWEB has taken the lead in protecting the McKenzie River both in terms of
   financial contributions and by convening partners to work on a number of
   watershed protection projects.
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   Management Measures

   In 2005, EWEB started the 'Healthy Farms Clean Water' project, with the overall
   goal of developing long-term relationships with growers, local agricultural
   agencies, watershed stakeholders, universities, and others to reduce chemical
   use while increasing the economic vitality of McKenzie farmers as valuable
   stewards of the watershed. The following activities have grown out of this
   project.

   General
      •  Mapped crop types in the McKenzie watershed using aerial photography
         and ground truthing.
      •  Completed an Agricultural Activities Assessment and Evaluation Plan in
         February 2005 that conducted a more in-depth evaluation of potential
         threats from  agriculture and outlined ways to work with stakeholders.
      •  Conducted an initial analysis of crop types, potential chemical use based
         on crop type, soil type, and proximity to surface water bodies to highlight
         agricultural areas that have a higher potential for runoff of agricultural
         chemicals to impact surface waters.
      •  EWEB became an active member and participant in development of the
         Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Resource Center at Oregon State
         University (OSU).
      •  EWEB's Drinking Water Source Protection Coordinator is actively involved
         on the Board of Directors for Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation &
         Development (RC&D), Oregon Association of RC&D Councils and East
         Lane Soil & Water Conservation District.

   Technical Assistance
   EWEB provides technical assistance and support to growers in the McKenzie
   watershed to reduce chemical use along the McKenzie River through the
   following initiatives:
   »  Provides free soil sampling and analysis to allow for better management of
      fertilizer application.
   »  Provides interested farmers in the McKenzie watershed full reimbursement of
      organic certification costs when they obtain certification through Oregon  Tilth.
      Two farms have been certified to date.
   »  Worked with growers in 2006 to become eligible for the USDA Conservation
      Security Program (CSP) in the McKenzie watershed.  The CSP is a voluntary
      conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship of private
      agricultural lands by  providing financial payments for maintaining and
      enhancing natural  resources. EWEB offered to collect and analyze soil
      samples from active  croplands to meet one of the requirements of this
      program. EWEB collected nearly 100 soil samples at 23 different farms.
   »  Worked with Springfield Utility Board, Oregon Health Division, Oregon DEQ,
      Lane County Solid Waste, OSU Extension, and others to implement a
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      program that removed approximately 44 tons of old and/or no longer used
      agricultural chemicals (such as DDT, paraquat, lindane, dieldrin, etc.) from
      126 different farms and properly destroyed these chemicals through
      incineration free of charge to the growers.

   Local Food
   EWEB and its partners seek to create a regional market place that promotes
   water quality protection and agricultural opportunities in the Willamette River
   Basin (which includes the McKenzie watershed).  In an effort to increase the
   economic health of local farmers and provide greater security to Eugene's food
   and water supply in the face of climate change and increased oil costs,  EWEB is
   involved in the following activities to open local markets to local farmers.
   »  EWEB is currently working with Cascade Pacific RC&D, Willamette Farm &
      Food Coalition (WFFC), Ten Rivers Food Web, OSU Extension, Lane
      Community College and others to organize and put on an annual Local Food
      Connection event that brings together local farmers and food buyers to make
      connections and promote the use of locally-grown food. The second annual
      event in February 2008 was a networking success, attracting over 180
      farmers, food buyers, and other organizations.
   »  EWEB is working with Ecotrust,  WFFC,  and Good Company to set up a local
      'FoodHub' in the Eugene/Springfield area to support and encourage local
      food production.  The 'FoodHub' concept refers to a web-based marketplace
      where local buyers and growers can connect and communicate with each
      other and conduct business transactions online. As envisioned, the FoodHub
      is a multi-tiered system that will be developed in a phased approach:
      •  Tier 1: Basic online, searchable directory/database of local growers and
         buyers in a specified geographic area.
      •  Tier 2: Growers and buyers produce periodic (ex. weekly) 'fresh sheets' of
         the types and quantities of produce/products that they wish to buy/sell.
         Online transactions and payments are supported.
      •  Tier 3: The most complex  of the three tiers, this includes the development
         of a distribution system where growers and buyers can take advantage of
         pooling their resources in order to facilitate efficient distribution of (for
         example) produce from several growers to one or more buyers elsewhere.
         This portion of the FoodHub  is still being developed conceptually and may
         become an Oregon Solutions Project, supported by the Governor's Office.
   »  EWEB is providing matching funds to the WFFC for a Meyer Memorial Trust
      grant. This grant enables WFFC to raise public awareness of the benefits of
      buying locally,  assist McKenzie watershed farmers in finding local markets for
      their crops, and help larger buyers to overcome the barriers to sourcing
      product locally. WFFC is also creating the local database  of growers that will
      ultimately feed the FoodHub online system described above.

   Protection/Restoration of Farmland
   EWEB is pursuing opportunities in the McKenzie watershed to increase
   restoration and protection of riparian areas  to provide critical habitat to fish and
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   other animals, shade to reduce water temperatures and vegetation buffers to
   treat chemical runoff from farm fields, roads, parking lots and other sources.
   »  EWEB helps growers in the McKenzie watershed to become eligible for
      participation in the USDA Conservation Security Program (CSP), which
      rewards farmers for exceptional stewardship with payments.
   »  EWEB is a participant in the Farmland Preservation Program, a project under
      the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition designed to protect prime farmland
      from development.
   »  EWEB is working to better  understand the ecosystem marketplace, which will
      potentially allow farmers to sell temperature, carbon, or other mitigation
      credits for protecting/conserving riparian areas, wildlife habitat, or forests.
   »  EWEB's Drinking Water Source Protection Coordinator is on the Board of
      Directors for the East Lane Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), which
      is currently exploring the possibility of forming an agricultural land trust to
      protect farmland in the Upper Willamette Valley from future development.

   Future Directions
   »  In 2009, EWEB plans to meet with individual growers to discuss specific
      projects and opportunities relating to their land, such as increased riparian
      restoration, easements, more sustainable use of chemicals, finding local
      markets for their crops, etc. Out of these conversations,  EWEB would like to
      convene an advisory group of growers to work on projects and disseminate
      information to other farmers in the watershed.
   »  Support for conducting energy audits and increasing use of renewable energy
      on farms.
   »  Acquisition of 700 to 1,500 acres of prime farmland in the McKenzie
      watershed for development of a long-term experimental farm with Oregon
      State University and other partners that focuses on applying research on the
      ground associated with sustainable farming practices.
   »  As the FoodHub concept becomes more established, EWEB would like to add
      additional components to the system, such as:
      o  Technical assistance to assist growers in applying for grants that support
         restoration work on their land;
      o  Development of a Geographic Information System (CIS) based web
         component that allows farmers to select their parcel and evaluate the
         types of potential crops that could be grown on their land (based on CIS
         analysis of soil type, precipitation, slope and  aspect, elevation, etc.).
         Growers could then assess the market demand for these crops to
         determine economic viability of transitioning to a new crop. The system
         would then provide technical assistance on how to transition from the
         existing crop to a new crop (and how to obtain third party organic or
         sustainable certification);
      o  Financial assistance to  develop more efficient irrigation systems; and,
      o  Technical assistance to develop future crop/land management plans
         based on what their specific parcels of land can support (depending on
         size, soils, topography,  precipitation, etc.)
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   Contingency Planning

   A comprehensive source protection program is a form of contingency planning.
   EWEB and its partners currently conduct extensive water quality and biological
   monitoring throughout the watershed both during storm events and on a regular,
   fixed-interval basis. EWEB is using this data to build a watershed model that will
   allow prediction of rainfall-runoff relationships, pollution load calculations and
   contaminant transport scenarios.  EWEB's development of strong partnerships
   associated with the many source protection  projects completed in the watershed
   provides for effective communication around spills, chemical use or other events
   that might have an impact on water quality.

   Measuring Program Effectiveness

   EWEB's investment in conducting an assessment of each viable threat in the
   watershed and collecting water quality, CIS  and other data to better understand
   the relative risk posed by these threats lays  the foundation for measuring
   program effectiveness over time. In the case of agriculture, EWEB has made
   working with the agricultural community a priority to develop a system that makes
   it easier for growers to supply local markets, reduce chemical use and increase
   riparian buffers. These and other efforts are intended to safeguard farmland from
   development,  increase food security and protect critical water supplies.  As a
   measure of success we would expect to see the following trends:
      •  Increase in the number of growers using 'sustainable' farming practices or
         obtaining organic or other similar certifications;
      •  Increase in the number of attendees at the annual  Local Food Connection
         event;
      •  Quantification of  additional  chemicals removed from the watershed during
         chemical collection events;
      •  Increase in the number of conservation easements that protect riparian
         areas and place active farmland in land trusts in the watershed;
      •  Increase in conservation activities in the watershed (ex. participation in
         USDA Conservation Security Program or in watershed council sponsored
         projects);
      •  Decreasing incidence or magnitude of pollutants detected in the McKenzie
         River and its tributaries (obtained through both  monitoring and modeling);
      •  Increase in use and number/amount of transactions occurring on the
         FoodHub website (once the FoodHub website is operational);
      •  Increase in the amount of local product purchased  by local food buyers;
      •  Reduction in pesticides/chemicals used in the watershed; and,
      •  Increase in the number of food distributors, food storage and processing
         businesses that cater to local producers.

   For further information contact:
   Karl Morgenstern
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   Drinking Water Source Protection Coordinator
   Eugene Water & Electric Board
   541-341-8552
   karl.morgenstern@eweb.eugene.or.us

   or

   Nancy Toth
   Eugene Water & Electric Board
   541-344-6311     ext. 3318
   nancy.toth(S)eweb.eugene.or.us
Office of Water (4606M)                      816F10040                             January 2010

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