County: Washington

Primary Resource Concern: Aquatic habitat - Aquatic habitat for fish and other organisms

Project Description
This project proposes to work on land along priority stream reaches within this focus area to implement practices to restore fish and wildlife habitat that utilize the streams and riparian areas, increase efficient use of irrigation water, and decrease nutrients and pesticides in surface and ground waters. Objectives by 2021 are to: establish riparian forest buffers along 20 miles of priority stream reaches bordering agricultural lands; improve irrigation water use efficiency on 170 acres along priority stream reaches; decrease manure runoff from five livestock operations; and restore 20 acres of wetland in floodplain sites bordering priority stream reaches.

Conservation Practices Offered

• Field Border (386)
• Filter Strip (393)
• Riparian Forest Buffer (391)
• Tree/Shrub Establishment (612)
• Fence (382)
• Irrigation System, Microirrigation (441)
• Irrigation System, Sprinkler (442)
• Waste Storage Facility (313)
• Composting Facility (317)
• Roof Runoff Structure (558)
• Waste Facility Cover (367)
• Heavy Use Area Protection (561)
• Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490)
• Conservation Cover (327)
• Herbaceous Weed Control (315)
• Brush Management (314)
• Watering Facility (614)
• Pest Management Conservation System Design and Implementation Activity (161)
• Pumping Plant (533)
• Irrigation Pipeline (430)
• Structure for Water Control (587)
• Irrigation Water Management (449)
• Nutrient Management (590)
• Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (102)
• Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan Design and Implementation Activity (101)
• Underground Outlet (620)
• Pipeline (516)
• Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390)
• Mulching (484)

Collaborating Partners

• Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Clean Water Services
• Farm Service Agency
• NRCS Oregon
• Private landowners

Screening Questions

1.  Are the practices proposed for the EQIP contract inside the EQIP priority area?

2.  Does at least one tract proposed for the EQIP contract include a perennial, priority stream reach?

3.  If the EQIP contract will include irrigation practices, will those practices increase System Efficiency by 15% or more, as calculated by the NRCS Irrigation Water Savings Estimator?

4.  If the EQIP contract will include irrigation practices, will those practices result in an Annual Water Savings Estimate of at least 15%, as calculated by the NRCS Irrigation Water Savings Estimator?

5.  If the EQIP contract will include irrigation practices, does the existing irrigation system pump water directly from a priority stream reach?

Ranking Criteria

1. Did the applicant complete a farm inventory packet prior to the application deadline

2. Will the contract include Field Border (386), Filter Strip (393), Riparian Forest Buffer (391) and/or Tree/shrub Establishment (612) planted as buffers along streams or ditches?

3. Will the contract include a Fence (382) installed to protect a riparian area from livestock grazing?

4. Bonus if buffers are at least 30 feet wide, will use entirely native vegetation, and will be installed along at least 50% of priority stream reaches in the tracts enrolled.

5. Bonus if tract is enrolled in Tualatin SWCD’s VEGBAC Program.

6. Will the EQIP contract convert at least one field from sprinkler to micro-irrigation, linear move or center pivot irrigation?

7. Will the applicant apply for an instream water lease in conjunction with contracted irrigation practices?

8. Will the contract include Waste Storage Facility (313), Composting Facility (317), Roofs and Covers (367), Roof Runoff Structure (558) and/or Heavy Use Protection (561) to reduce risk of manure runoff on a livestock farm?

9. Is the project adjacent to another NRCS or partner conservation project?

How to Apply

If you're interested in applying for this program, please contact:

Juli Waarvik, Outreach & Enrollment Specialist - Stream Enhancement Program
juli.waarvik@tualatinswcd.org
Office: 503-334-2288 ext. 108 | Cell: 503-501-7738
7175 NE Evergreen Pkwy #400, Hillsboro OR 97124

Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District
tualatinswcd.org

NRCS Local Service Center - Washington County