The purpose of this report is to set forth in a condensed form the major items considered by the State Water Resources Board in its formulation of an integrated, coordinated program of use and control of the water resources of the Mid-Coast Basin in Oregon.
Poor quality water or an inadequate supply of water can take the pleasure from country living. Problems with quantity or quality of domestic water occur all over Oregon.
The opportunities for expanding water supplies in Oregon coastal municipalities are becoming increasingly limited. New water quantity and quality regulations, particularly those designed to protect and rebuild salmon runs, constrain water supply options. At the same time, however, demand for water is increasing. Coastal communities continue to grow in population...
The Oregon Coast's small water systems, like the vast number of small water systems across the U.S., are greatly vulnerable. Failing infrastructure, limited financial capital, and inadequate staff combined with future changes in climate, population size, and regulatory stringency spell out a potentially dire future for the region's water supply...
Published January 1993. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
The Phase 1 report is an overview of the complex water quantity and quality information and issues specific to Benton County. It is a first step toward assessing and planning for future water quantity and quality within Benton County and provides a template for regional water planning. The report details...
Increasing demand for exploitation of natural resources
in federal-municipal watersheds in the Western United
States has caused conflicts involving municipalities, the
U.S. Forest Service, and community interest groups. Better
understanding of the resource management process is needed
to help resolve these conflicts.
The objectives of this study were to document...
A rapid expansion of population and industrialization in recent
years has created new and difficult problems in water resources
management. Prudent management of water quality will require that
more efficient methods be developed for evaluating large volumes of
data on complex river systems, and tabulating the results in a form...
This research provides details of water resource conflict and cooperation in Oregon between 1990 and 2004 by using an event database methodology. Events were concentrated in four of 18 basins. No basin accounted for more that 25% of the total water rights events, the most evenly distributed issue type. Overall...
The consumptive water use of six cities in the Willamette
Basin of northwestern Oregon was evaluated for the period 1960-66.
Consumptive use ratios were obtained by analyzing data from monthly
water supply and sewage flow records. The average annual consumptive
use for the six cities was found to be 26...
Agricultural water supplies are becoming increasingly uncertain in the western United States due to elevated demands from competing water users, environmental restrictions on surface water withdrawals as a result of the establishment of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, and potential climatic changes. Since many rural communities in the West...
An ASR metric and site rating index applied to over 120 municipal and agricultural locations across Oregon, combined with comparison to case study data from existing ASR sites, indicate that more than 50% of selected sites are hydrogeologically suitable for ASR. The ASR metric is a ratio of aquifer storage...
Oregon is a state with great social and ecological diversity. Unfortunately however, Oregon's water-rich reputation is more rumor than reality. As with many Western states, Oregon struggles with water scarcity, especially during dry summer months. Recent efforts by the state to develop an integrated water resource strategy (IWRS) to manage...
Natural resource management and policy is ideally informed by the best available science. Natural resource researchers ideally participate in broader impacts activities to extend the reach of their best available research. However, there are many cultural, institutional, and practical barriers to participating in broader impact activities and to incorporating science...
The overall purpose of this research is to assess the Oregon public's capacity to address water resources disturbances through civil society. According to scientists and resource managers, Oregon's water resources are over taxed and at risk, with future projections placing additional stress from climate change and population growth. Oregon's 2009...
Many municipalities throughout western Oregon rely upon forested watersheds as a source for domestic water supply. These watersheds are commonly managed by state or
federal agencies or private corporations for timber production. Activities related to forest management within municipal watersheds have the potential to adversely affect water quality. Timber harvesting...
The impact of recent severe droughts throughout the United States, the potential for climate change to intensify the frequency and severity of drought, and discussion about the future of government assistance in agriculture highlight the need for a transition from drought as ‘disaster’ to drought as ‘managed risk’. However, guidance...
Growing urbanization, shifting water uses, and a focus on ecosystem health in the Deschutes River Basin in Central Oregon led to experimentation with new voluntary market-based approaches to water management in the last decade. To meet groundwater demands while maintaining instream flows and upholding prior water allocations, the Oregon Water...
Contamination of drinking water occurs despite strict regulations, yet few studies
have been conducted to assess the public's perception of risk about drinking water.
The purpose of this study was to assess risk perception associated with drinking water
supplied by small water systems and to determine alternative measures that people...
The state of Oregon is divided in important ways along rural and urban lines, including the way people make a living, individual and group relationships with the natural world, political ideologies, and personal values. This rural-urban divide has assisted policymakers in making decisions that balance the needs of Oregonians on...
The conflict over water allocation in the Upper Klamath Basin encompasses many important, complex, and difficult questions. One aspect of the situation, energy pricing, has come under increased scrutiny in connection with relicensing of the Klamath River hydropower operations, which is scheduled to take effect in 2006.
The Wood River Basin lies upstream of Upper Klamath Lake, the main reservoir of the USBR Klamath Irrigation Project that provides irrigation water to 210,000 acres of downstream land. Water allocation became a contentious issue in 2001 when drought led to curtailment of irrigation deliveries to the Klamath Irrigation Project...
With too many demands placed on too little water, the Klamath Basin and itsresidents - human and otherwise - are in dire need. There exists a significant opportunityfor mitigation in the purposeful conversion of seasonal wetlands to permanent wetlandsmanaged to increase baseline water storage levels in the Upper Basin. A...
Glaciers are effective reservoirs because they moderate variations in runoff and
supply reliable flow during drought periods. Thus, there needs to be a clear
understanding of the influence of glacier runoff at both the basin and catchment scale.
The objectives of this study were to quantify the late summer contributions...
Surface water in the Deschutes Basin of central Oregon has been largely over
allocated since the early 1900s. Therefore, rapid population growth and urban
demand for water in the upper Basin lead to an increased reliance on groundwater in
the last three decades. The Oregon Department of Water Resources (OWRD)...
This study used contingent valuation techniques to estimate the willingness of central Oregon Irrigators to donate a portion of their water rights to increase Deschutes River flow. This study was different from previous contingent valuation studies in that it used water rights as the payment vehicles instead of dollars -...
Multipurpose management of hydrosystems face a number of uncertainties related to hydrologic variability and nonstationarity. Anticipated air temperature increases in the Pacific Northwest region are projected to alter the timing and quantity of streamflow associated with precipitation shifting from snow to rain, including shorter winter runoff periods, earlier spring runoff,...
Globally, access to safe, reliable drinking water sources is a major challenge of this generation. Protected sources of drinking water provide communities with a sustainable, vital resource, yet many public water suppliers lack legal authority over their source water protection (SWP) area, especially in surface water systems. Absence of legal...
Different community and environmental goals, and conflicting information in the Klamath River basin have been major concerns for citizens of Oregon and California, the Klamath Basin Tribes, and agencies responsible for managing natural resources. In an April 25, 2001 letter, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber asked the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team...
This dissertation examines learning driven adaptations in salmon recovery efforts and water resources management in Oregon. The case study utilizes a framework highlighting the connections between human and natural systems. Semi-structured interviews are used to analyze interactions between rural riparian landowners and watershed council staffs living and working in Oregon’s...
Signs of climate change across the Pacific Northwest indicate changing patterns of timing and availability of stream flow. Declining summer low flows, decreasing snow pack, higher temperatures and an increasing fraction of mountain precipitation falling as rain, raise concerns about future reliability of stream flows. These changes will likely affect...
For oysters, "The objective of these studies was to determine the biological feasibility of using the heated effluent from coastal nuclear power plants for culturing the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas." (p.1) Work included oyster growth experiments, seasonal growth experiments and closed system studies. For salmon, "The objective of these studies...
Agricultural water supplies are becoming increasingly uncertain in the western United States due to rising demand from competing water users, environmental restrictions on surface water withdrawals due to water quality and endangered species concerns, and, potentially, climate-induced hydrological changes. Since many rural areas in the West depend economically upon irrigated...
Published December 1918. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Oregon’s high hunger and food insecurity rates have been a concern throughout the last decade. These high rates earned Oregon the dubious distinction as the most food insecure with hunger state in the late 1990’s. While Oregon’s ranking has improved in recent years, our understanding of why Oregon ranked so...
In 2001, an extreme drought tightened water supply in the Upper Klamath Basin (basin) while earlier increases in Endangered Species Act (ESA) water requirements for basin fish species that same year elevated demands. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), which manages irrigation water in parts of the basin located near the...
Throughout many of the world’s mountain ranges snowpack accumulates during the winter and into the spring, providing a natural reservoir for water. As this reservoir melts, it fills streams and recharges groundwater for over 1 billion people globally. Despite its importance to water resources, our understanding of the storage capacity...
Dams and reservoirs are important components of water resource management systems, but their operational sensitivity to streamflow variability may make them vulnerable to climate change. Climate change is likely to affect the magnitude and timing of streamflow, motivating the assessment of potential impacts on dams and reservoirs. Here I examine...
Fishery biologists and watershed management specialists have recently begun to investigate the pollutional threat posed by organic debris left in or near the forest watercourses. Oxygen content in some streams has fallen below the limits required for fish survival. The biochemical oxygen demand exerted by the debris and the reaeration...
Published February 1961. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Revised January 1996. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Hatcheries are often perceived as a source of pathogen amplification, potentially increasing disease risk to free-ranging populations; at the same time, free-ranging fishes may introduce pathogens into hatcheries through untreated water sources. Many pathogens exist naturally within the environment (with the exception of introduced pathogens) and the presence of a...
Published October 1988. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published July 1965. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
In 1968, a study conducted by the sanitarians of the State Health Division and Benton County Health Department revealed a high failure rate of on-site sewage disposal systems in Southwest Corvallis. The survey team concluded that sewage disposal in this area was inadequate, and a significant health hazard existed due...
A case study examining the relationship between stream temperatures and the thermal environment through which streams flow was conducted on the headwaters of 4 tributaries of the Burnt River (Barney, Elk, Greenhorn, and Stevens Creeks) in northeastern Oregon during July through August 1998 and 1999. Barney Creek and Stevens Creek...
Published June 1941. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
The temperature of the water in our streams and rivers is very important to the well-being of fish and other aquatic organisms. Most species need cool water to survive. As a result, Oregon’s water-quality standards include maximum stream temperature criteria. Streams that are monitored and found to exceed these temperatures...
Oregon water temperature standards were described by former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber’s Office as “an important component of the water quality element of the Oregon Plan [for Salmon and Watersheds]”. In 1998, Governor Kitzhaber’s Office and the Oregon Legislature asked the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team (IMST) to examine and review...
Published March 1943. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
In the last 20 years, a considerable volume of literature has emerged with respect to the efficacy of the market place in the allocation of water resources. Economists have been very willing to apply their tools of optimization in a comparative statics framework to indicate that any resource can be...
Published March 1968. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
The evaluation of social investment in water pollution control
has been retarded by a lack of methodology with which to evaluate
the direct benefits. The objective of this dissertation was to develop
theory and methodology for estimating direct recreational benefits
associated with the protection of sport fisheries. An inter-disciplinary
case...
A study was conducted to determine the quantity and distribution
of bark debris resulting from log rafting. Three distinct problems were
studied: (I) the quantity of bark dislodged from the logs while being
placed in the rivers and during transport in log rafts; (2) the percentage
of the bark that...
High intensity sampling was undertaken to characterize the temporal and spatial
variability of oxidized nitrogen (NO3-N + NO2-N), ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N), total
dissolved phosphorus, total unfiltered phosphorus and orthophosphorus (PO4-P) from two
adjacent small streams in Western Oregon's Coast Range, Deer Creek (303 ha) and Flynn
Creek (203 ha). Deer Creek...
The WET-Temp (Watershed Evaluation Tool Temperature) model is designed to take advantage of spatially explicit datasets to predict stream temperature distribution. Datasets describing vegetation cover, stream network locations, elevation and stream discharge are utilized by WET-Temp to quantify geometric relationships between the sun, stream channel and riparian areas. These relationships...
Many parts of the West are experiencing substantial growth pressures that have increased the demand for water. These new demands come at a time when most of the water in the West has been fully appropriated by traditional uses such as agriculture, mining, and industry. Some attempts are being made...
The effects of sublethal concentrations of kraft mill effluents
(KME) on the growth, food consumption, and swimming ability of
juvenile chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tschawytscha (Walbaum),
were studied from February 1966 to May, 1967.
The KME used in these studies was obtained from two pulp and
paper mills producing paper from...
Two strategic approaches to water quality control in Oregon's
Willamette River are presently being utilized: point source treatment
and flow augmentation. Dry weather releases from reservoirs are for
authorized purposes other than water quality. Reservoirs can participate
in pollution control by summer flow augmentation where authorized water
resource objectives (flood...
Since publication of the Oregon State University–University of California report on Klamath Basin water allocation,1 the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) initiated a pilot project to
compensate growers who agree to withhold irrigation from 12,000 acres of Project lands. This “Pilot Water Bank,” in place...
Three Nelder plots of 3-year-old red alder (Alnus rubra Bong) were used for this study at the Cascade Head Experimental Forest, Oregon in the growing season of 1988 at an elevation of 330 meters. Each Nelder plot
represented a range of densities from 238 to 101,219 trees per hectare. The...
Published October 1992. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published January 1982. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog