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. Office of Water (4606M) 816F10040 January 2010 ------- 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. Office of Water (4606M) 816F10040 January 2010 ------- 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 Office of Water (4606M) 816F10040 January 2010 ------- 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 Office of Water (4606M) 816F10040 January 2010 ------- 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.) Office of Water (4606M) 816F10040 January 2010 ------- 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 Office of Water (4606M) 816F10040 January 2010 ------- 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 ------- |