Water Quality Management

Options to Protect and Improve our Watershed

Water Quality Management Resources

Water Quality Information Pages

• Malheur County Groundwater Management Area
• Riparian Areas - Stream Side Protection
• Watershed Protection and Improvement

Station Publications on Water Quality

• TMDLs and Water Quality in the Malheur Basin: A Guide for Agriculture
• Tailwater Recovery Using Sedimentation Ponds and Pumpback Systems
• Eliminating Runoff Water from Your Farm
• Nitrate Pollution in Groundwater: A Grower’s Guide
• Making Strip Tillage Work for You: A Grower’s Guide

• Complete List of Malheur Extension and Experiment Station Grower Guides
• Complete List of Station Publications on Water Quality

Other Resources

• Sustainable Best Management Practices Guide
• Water Usage Information Page

Water Quality Issues and Practices

The following table displays current water issues and management practices. The management practices that are beneficial in helping solve the problems are marked "X". The appropriateness of any specific practice has to be determined for each site.

Irrigation Induced Erosion				Improve productivity		Irrigation water use efficiency		Erosion control and phosphate losses: Irrigated land			Erosion control and phosphate losses: Non-irrigated land			Groundwater protection		Pesticide losses		Riparian water quality
Laser leveling				X		X		X						X		X		X
Gated pipe				X		X		X						X		X		X
Filter strips								X								X		X
Sediment ponds						X		X								X		X
Mechanical straw mulching				X		X		X						X		X		X
PAM (polyacrylamide)						X		X						X		X		X
Surge irrigation						X		X						X		X		X
Reduced tillage						X		X								X		X
Field Slope Engineering & Furrow design				X		X		X						X		X		X
Nitrate Contamination in Groundwater				Improve productivity		Irrigation water use efficiency		Erosion control and phosphate losses: Irrigated land			Erosion control and phosphate losses: Non-irrigated land			Groundwater protection		Pesticide losses		Riparian water quality
Soil sampling				X				X						X				X
N rates, budgeting based on crop needs and soil test results				X										X				X
N budgeting, credits from N mineralization				X										X				X
N timing				X										X				X
N adjusted using tissue testing				X										X				X
Use of deep rooted rotation "sop up crops"				X										X				X
Irrigation criteria by soil water potential, ET				X		X		X						X		X		X
Nutrient management				X		X		X			X			X				X
Irrigation System Conversion				Improve productivity		Irrigation water use efficiency		Erosion control and phosphate losses: Irrigated land			Erosion control and phosphate losses: Non-irrigated land			Groundwater protection		Pesticide losses		Riparian water quality
Irrigation system redesign				X		X		X						X		X		X
Drip irrigation
Irrigation scheduling				X		X		X						X		X		X
Sediment retention ponds						X		X			X					X		X
Pump back system						X		X								X		X
Buried tail water pipelines				X				X			X					X		X
Dryland Farming				Improve productivity		Irrigation water use efficiency		Erosion control and phosphate losses: Irrigated land			Erosion control and phosphate losses: Non-irrigated land			Groundwater protection		Pesticide losses		Riparian water quality
Grass waterways											X					X		X
Chemical application options														X		X
Reduced tillage											X					X		X
Riparian Management				Improve productivity		Irrigation water use efficiency		Erosion control and phosphate losses: Irrigated land			Erosion control and phosphate losses: Non-irrigated land			Groundwater protection		Pesticide losses		Riparian water quality
Grazing management				X							X			X				X
Riparian plantings											X							X
Fish screens																		X
Upland Pasture Management				Improve productivity		Irrigation water use efficiency		Erosion control and phosphate losses: Irrigated land			Erosion control and phosphate losses: Non-irrigated land			Groundwater protection		Pesticide losses		Riparian water quality
Forest practices				X							X			X				X
Watering facilities				X							X			X				X
Fencing				X							X			X				X
Planting and reseeding				X							X			X				X
Controlled burns				X							X			X				X
Juniper control				X							X			X				X
Noxious weed control				X							X							X
Dacthal Breakdown Product in Groundwater				Improve productivity		Irrigation water use efficiency		Erosion control and phosphate losses: Irrigated land			Erosion control and phosphate losses: Non-irrigated land			Groundwater protection		Pesticide losses		Riparian water quality
Dacthal banding on 1/3 of the soil along onions														X		X
Dacthal elimination, use of Prowl and Poast														X		X
Urban Areas				Improve productivity		Irrigation water use efficiency		Erosion control and phosphate losses: Irrigated land			Erosion control and phosphate losses: Non-irrigated land			Groundwater protection		Pesticide losses		Riparian water quality
Recycling of chemicals and oils														X		X		X
Nutrient management								X			X			X				X
Runoff management				X		X		X								X		X