Options to Protect and Improve Water Quality

Clinton C. Shock
Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University

in cooperation with the Malheur Soil and Water Conservation District, the Malheur Watershed Council
and the Owyhee Watershed Council!!

Links

Best Management Practices
Cooperative Stewardship
The Phosphorus Dilemma, why it is important to reduce phosphorus losses from farm land! (Spanish)
Malheur County Groundwater Management Area
Drip Irrigation Page
Irrigation Scheduling Page
Granular Matrix Sensors Page: Soil Water Potential Measurements
Make Polyacrylamide Work for You! to reduce soil loss!

TMDLs and Water Quality in the Malheur Basin: A Guide for Agriculture

Tailwater Recovery Using Sedimentation Ponds and Pumpback Systems

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) (Spanish)		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	X	X	X		X	X	X
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