Wasco County SWCD, Oregon
Long Range
Plan 


Updated 7/5/05

Mission

To work cooperatively with others to promote and encourage conservation and wise use of natural resources.

Policy and Responsibilities

Conservation Districts are organized under Oregon statute ORS 568.210-801. As one of Oregon's 45 conservation districts, Wasco County Soil & Water Conservation District is responsible to protect and promote any natural resources within Wasco County. The state legislature set forth the reason for formation of the conservation districts and outlined district responsibilities in ORS 568.225: (Because of) increasing demands on renewable natural resources ...and the need to conserve, protect, and develop such resources, it is ... the policy of the Legislative Assembly to ... conserve and develop natural resources, control and prevent soil erosion, control floods, conserve and develop water resources and water quality, prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs, assist in maintaining navigability of rivers and harbors, preserve wildlife, conserve natural beauty, promote recreational development, protect the tax base, protect public lands, promote the health, safety, and general welfare of Oregonians (and) to authorize soil and water conservation districts to: participate in effectuating the above policy and ... to cooperate with: land owners and occupiers, other natural resource users, other local governmental units, agencies of Oregon, and the U.S. in projects, programs and activities ...to accelerate such policies.

Requirements (mandatory)

          1. Identify the most important resource problems in Wasco County

          2. Set up a long-range plan to solve resource problems

          3. Develop and use an annual plan of work

          4. Hold an annual meeting and present an annual report and audit

          5. Conduct regular (monthly) meetings

          6. Conduct a confined animal feeding operation waste management program
          7. Include Coordinated Resources Management Planning in Annual Work Plan

Objectives and Schedule

Objectives

 

• Watersheds

Work to prevent further degradation of all watersheds and to improve their ability to properly function:  capturing, storing and safely releasing water over an extended period

          Prioritize watersheds by resource need & landowner interest level

          Develop flood hazard mitigation plans for appropriate watersheds

                   Plan & implement projects to correct problems in priority areas
• Water / Water Related

          Irrigation Systems 

                   Improve management, maintenance, fish screening

                   Improve transmission efficiency for conveyance systems (ditches)

                   Work to improve water use efficiency

                             Rebuild old systems

                             Foster better timing/quantity of application

          Streams / Riparian Systems

Reduce degradation and sedimentation in streams

Enhance water quality and stream flows

Foster protection of riparian areas by:

                             assisting & educating people in protection benefits

                             establishing forested riparian buffer systems

                   Restore water courses and lakes to optimum quantity, diversity of                                                    plant and animal life

Riparian systems

          Identify & implement rehabilitation measures

          Foster improved management

          - Educate people in riparian management

          - develop demonstration areas

          - identify problem areas

          - plan and implement projects

Improve riparian areas (erosion control, habitat, improved stream flows, proper grazing)

Enhance fisheries habitat on streams in Wasco Co.

          Groundwater

Assist City of Mosier and Mosier Valley residents:

                   -evaluate quality & quantity of groundwater resources

                   -plan and implement measures to protect groundwater resources

          General

Water resource educational program: stress importance of county's water to all resources

• Erosion

          Work to reduce erosion of cropland soils

          Reduce county's cost of sediment removal from roadways

          Cropland soils protection (economically feasible)

Residue management on public and private land to build soil and reduce water & wind erosion

Education and demonstration areas

Promote strip-cropping/divided slope, direct seeding (no-till) and other proven systems

          Mitigate erosion at construction sites

 


• Pollution

          Promote practices which minimize pollution of soil, water, & air by                                                 industry, agriculture, and individuals

          Encourage use of best management practices; minimize amount of                     

chemicals and sediments entering streams

• Plants

          Support continuing Conservation Reserve Program in some form

                   (for soil, water quality & wildlife values)

          Get trees, shrubs, grasses etc. growing wherever possible to

                   improve the environment and displace noxious weeds

          Work to improve weed control in forests and other areas of the county

          Inventory riparian tree, shrub species along Wasco Co. streams

          Develop Eastside Riparian Planting guide

• Forestry

          Expand involvement with Forest Service and OR Dept. of Forestry

          Work with private landowners to help them improve productivity of

                   forest lands.  Include tours with conservation minded foresters

          Promote existing Forestry Program

          Reduce fire hazards

• Range

          Improve rangeland, range management, & grazing management

Encourage landowners & BLM to continue using or adopt improved grazing

management techniques on the lower Deschutes and Fifteenmile Basin

• District Operations

                   Maintain active board & active committees

                   Improve district visibility

                   Provide development review comments to city & county planners

                   Work with other agencies to develop a District-wide Resource Plan

                   Identify & address resource concerns to landowners & the public

                   Promote expanded use of successful Ag conservation practices

                   Educate the public in value of conserving natural resources

·        Political and Economic

                   Review and comment on legislation as appropriate. 

                   Promote economically feasible approaches to conservation

                   Market Conservation by publicizing successes

                   Promote agriculture sustainability vs. "mining" for quick profits

Promote increased agricultural diversity in Wasco County
Promote voluntary versus regulatory conservation programs

 

Schedule

 

Year:  July 06 – June 07

Administration (ADM) – schedule regular program items and recurring events

            Information, Education, and Marketing (IEM) – regular program

            General Conservation Activities (GEN)

                        Agriculture sustainability – Promote plans & practices to meet or exceed T

                                    Emphasize soil quality improvements

Assist operators with Confined Animal Feeding Operations as requested

                        Use Coordinated Resource Management Planning (CRMP)

Make SWCD mower, mulcher, and borrowed range drill available

                        Improve nursery; initiate additional demonstration plantings

                        Continue District Conservation Grant program

                        Conduct Annual Conservation Tree and Shrub sale

            Oregon Plan Support (ORP)

Function as Local Management Agency

                        Implement Agricultural Water Quality Management Area Plan

                        Coordinate with County to complete Endersby cutoff culvert replacement

                        Provide tech. Assist. to local landowners in conservation & water quality

                        Support OWEB small grant program to make grant funds available for small projects

                        Develop CREP / CCRP Riparian Buffer Plans

            Watershed Program (WSP)

            Buck Hollow Watershed Project: 

                        Support PL-566 implementation, monitoring (to 2007)

                        Transition to Monitoring and Evaluation Phase

                        Implement conservation practices in uplands and riparian area as needed

            Bakeoven Watershed Project

                        Support Bakeoven Watershed Council

                        Implement conservation practices in uplands and riparian area as needed

            Fifteenmile Watershed Project

                        Continue Implementation of watershed plan; seek additional OWEB & 319 funds                                  Support Fifteenmile Watershed Council and monitoring program

            Mosier Watershed

                        Support Mosier Area Watershed Council and Implement Groundwater Action Plan

                        Work with USGS and others on Mosier Groundwater Study

            Pine Hollow Watershed

                        Assist Sherman SWCD with monitoring program

            The Dalles Area Watershed

                        Implement Watershed Project and Support The Dalles Area Watershed Council

                        Develop flow table for monitoring stations

            White River Watershed (includes Juniper Flat area)

Implement Watershed Action Plan and support White River Watershed Council

                        Work with irrigation ditch organizations to implement water saving projects

            Trout Creek Watershed – Assist Jefferson County SWCD with implementation

                        Work with local landowners, USDA and State to address feral pig problem

 


Year: July 07 – June 08

Administration (ADM) – schedule regular program items and recurring events

            Information, Education, and Marketing (IEM) – regular program

            General Conservation Activities (GEN)

                        Agriculture sustainability – Promote plans & practices to meet or exceed T

                                    emphasize soil quality improvements

Assist operators with Confined Animal Feeding Operations as requested

                        Use Coordinated Resource Management Planning (CRMP)

Make SWCD mower, mulcher, and borrowed range drill available

            Acquire Range Drill

                        Improve nursery; initiate additional demonstration plantings

                        Continue District Conservation Grant program

                        Conduct Annual Conservation Tree and Shrub sale

            Oregon Plan Support (ORP)

Function as Local Management Agency

                        Implement Agricultural Water Quality Management Area Plan

                        Monitor Endersby cutoff culvert project for fish passage improvements

                        Provide tech. Assist. to local landowners in conservation & water quality

                        Support OWEB small grant program to make grant funds available for small projects

                        Develop CREP / CCRP Riparian Buffer Plans

            Watershed Program (WSP)

            Buck Hollow Watershed Project: 

                        Conduct Project Monitoring and Evaluation

                        Implement conservation practices in uplands and riparian area as needed

            Bakeoven Watershed Project

                        Support Bakeoven Watershed Council

                        Implement conservation practices in uplands and riparian area as needed

            Fifteenmile Watershed Project

                        Continue Implementation of watershed plan; seek additional OWEB & 319 funds                                  Support Fifteenmile Watershed Council and monitoring program

            Mosier Watershed

                        Support Mosier Area Watershed Council and Implement Watershed Action Plan

                        Work with USGS and others to complete Mosier Groundwater Study and develop

                                    Action plan based on study results

            Pine Hollow Watershed

                        Assist Sherman SWCD with monitoring program

            The Dalles Area Watershed

                        Implement Watershed Project and Support The Dalles Area Watershed Council

            White River Watershed (includes Juniper Flat area)

Implement Watershed Action Plan And Support White River Watershed Council

                        Work with irrigation ditch organizations to implement water saving projects

            Trout Creek Watershed – Assist Jefferson County SWCD with implementation

                        Work with local landowners, USDA and State to address feral pig problem


Year: July 08 – June 09

Administration (ADM) – schedule regular program items and recurring events

            Information, Education, and Marketing (IEM) – regular program

            General Conservation Activities (GEN)

                        Agriculture sustainability – Promote plans & practices to meet or exceed T

                                    emphasize soil quality improvements

Assist operators with Confined Animal Feeding Operations as requested

                        Use Coordinated Resource Management Planning (CRMP)

Make SWCD mower, mulcher, and range drill available

                        Improve nursery; initiate additional demonstration plantings

                        Continue District Conservation Grant program

                        Conduct Annual Conservation Tree and Shrub sale

            Oregon Plan Support (ORP)

Function as Local Management Agency

                        Implement Agricultural Water Quality Management Area Plan

                        Provide tech. Assist. to local landowners in conservation & water quality

                        Support OWEB small grant program to make grant funds available for small projects

                        Develop CREP / CCRP Riparian Buffer Plans

            Watershed Program (WSP)

            Buck Hollow Watershed Project: 

                        Conduct Project Monitoring and Evaluation

                        Implement conservation practices in uplands and riparian area as needed

            Bakeoven Watershed

                        Support Bakeoven Watershed Council

                        Implement conservation practices in uplands and riparian area as needed

            Fifteenmile Watershed Project

                        Continue Implementation of watershed plan; seek additional OWEB & 319 funds                                  Support Fifteenmile Watershed Council and monitoring program

            Mosier Watershed

                        Support Mosier Area Watershed Council and Implement Watershed Action Plan

                        Work with USGS and others to complete Mosier Groundwater Study and develop

                                    Action plan based on study results

            Pine Hollow Watershed

                        Assist Sherman SWCD with monitoring program

            The Dalles Area Watershed

                        Implement Watershed Project and Support The Dalles Area Watershed Council

            White River Watershed (includes Juniper Flat area)

Implement Watershed Action Plan And Support White River Watershed Council

                        Work with irrigation ditch organizations to implement water saving projects

            Trout Creek Watershed – Assist Jefferson County SWCD with implementation

                        Work with local landowners, USDA and State to address feral pig problem

 



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