by Scott Gall, Farms & Soils Conservationist
Two years ago, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) selected Sauvie Island and the surrounding watershedwatershed an area of land that channels rainfall, snowmelt, and runoff into a common body of water, such as a nearby lake or river. Multiple streams can be part of the same watershed area, such as the Tryon Creek Watershed which is fed by Oak Creek, Park Creek, Falling Creek, and others., including the area draining to Miller, McCarthy and Crabapple Creeks as the focus of one of its Strategic Implementation Area (SIA) programs. These SIAs, of which over 40 have already been completed around the state, are focused efforts of education, technical assistance, and funding as well as compliance with regulations in order to improve water quality within a given watershed. State laws and regulations, which stem from the 1972 Clean Water act and are overseen by ODA and other state natural resource agencies, center on protecting streams and ground water from agricultural activities such as fertilizers, pesticides, livestock manure, and soil erosion. West Multnomah SWCD’s role is to assist landowners who may have been identified through the SIA process as having violations, or potential violations, to achieve compliance voluntarily. Additionally, the SIA program’s land assessment process identifies restoration opportunities along waterways which SWCD Conservationists can partner with landowners to design and implement.
Starting in late 2023, ODA conducted a compliance evaluation on 670 tax lots within the Sauvie Island SIA, which were chosen because of their agricultural use or direct drainage qualities. Of these, over 97% were at or exceeding compliance metrics. Those that did not meet compliance have already been contacted by ODA, the District or both. All are able to voluntarily address any of ODA’s concerns – though if someone is unwilling to do so ODA does have authority to enforce corrective actions. At this time all are willing to work with both ODA and the District.
Year two has focused on outreach, technical assistance, and conservation planning to assist landowners in achieving or remaining in compliance. Most projects have centered around simple practices changes, for example, not planting crops as close to irrigation canals, streams or sloughs–a minimum of ten feet is required. Additionally, the SIA monitoring plan, which is a partnership with Sauvie Island Drainage Improvement Company, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and ODA, will focus on bacteria and sediment and is being developed now. Bacteria and sediment are the focuses as they are considered good indicators of water quality.
Year three will focus on the implementation of that monitoring plan as well as on-the-ground projects to complete the compliance process for any identified landowners or farms. Additionally, many tax lots were highlighted as “restoration opportunities.” These are situations in which the farm is in compliance, but there is still room for improvement. WMSWCD will extend the same services currently being offered to the compliance-related cases to these property owners as well.
Ultimately, the District intends for this project to create an overall uplift in conservation practices on Sauvie Island and the surrounding areas. In addition to protecting water quality, many of the conservation actions included in this project will also create better on-farm climate resilience and habitat for wildlife. For more information, please contact the district at info@wmswcd.org or scott@wmswcd.org.