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Lateral 13.6 Water Quality Improvement

County: Malheur

Primary Resource Concern Addressed: 

  • Source water depletion - Inefficient irrigation water use
  • Field sediment, nutrient and pathogen loss - Nutrients transported to surface water
  • Soil quality limitations - Soil organism habitat loss or degradation 

Project Description
The Lateral 13.6 Water Quality Improvement strategy will provide landowners an opportunity to improve water quality, increase irrigation efficiencies, and improve soil health in the project area. The goals of this project are to improve water quality by reducing the amount of irrigation runoff and erosion/sediment that leaves the area, to increase on-farm irrigation efficiencies, and improve soil health.

Conservation Practices Offered

  • Conservation Cover (327) 
  • Conservation Crop Rotation (328) 
  • Cover Crop (340) 
  • Field Border (386) 
  • Irrigation System, Microirrigation (441) 
  • Sprinkler System (442) 
  • Irrigation Pipeline (430) 
  • Irrigation Water Management (449) 
  • Nutrient Management (590) 
  • Pumping Plant (533) 
  • Residue and Tillage Management, No Till (329) 
  • Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced Till (345) 
  • Structure for Water Control (587) 
  • Conservation Activities Soil Health Testing (216)

Project Partners

  • Malheur SWCD
  • Owyhee Irrigation District
  • Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB)
  • Idaho Power
  • Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)
  • Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD)
  • NRCS Oregon
  • Private landowners

Application Questions
NRCS uses prioritization questions to evaluate applications for this initiative. See the list of workload prioritization questions on the Oregon EQIP page. Ranking questions below will also apply.

Ranking Questions

  1. Using the Irrigation Water Savings Estimator Tool, what percent annual water savings will result from the planned practices or from an irrigation system that has been installed within the previous 5 years?
  2. Will the conservation treatment improve wildlife habitat, food, and or cover? (Use Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Guide)   
  3. Is the applicant currently working with the local partner to install a complimentary project that increases the magnitude of conservation benefits or improves existing conservation practices or systems that are already in place?  
  4. Will the conservation treatment include one or more of the following practices: 329, 340, 345, 386, 449 and/or 590?
  5. Are inventory, evaluation, and draft designs complete for the proposed activities?
  6. Based on CIS cultural overview, are the proposed activities likely to NOT affect cultural resources or cultural properties?