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National Water Quality Initiative - Molalla

National Water Quality Initiative - Molalla

County: Clackamas

Resource Concern: Water Quality Degradation - Sediment in Surface Waters and Nutrients in Surface or Ground Waters

Project Description
This project focuses on addressing the resource concerns that impact the water quality of the Molalla River that provides drinking water  for the communities of Colton, Molalla and Canby.  The mainstem Molalla River is considered impaired by the DEQ for bacteria, temperature, and flow modifications, and has TMDLs for many other parameters such as nutrients and mercury.  The practices available in this funding pool will improve soil health and reduce the potential contamination of surface waters from sediment, excess nutrients, bacteria (E. coli), algae, cyanotoxins, metals, pesticides, etc. to surface waters (runoff), and groundwater (leaching).

Conservation Practices

  • Access control (472)
  • Access roads (590)
  • Animal trails and walkways (575)
  • Brush management (314)
  • Conservation cover (327)
  • Conservation crop rotation (328)
  • Cover crops (340)
  • Critical area planting (342)
  • Fence (382)
  • Field border (386)
  • Filter strip (393)
  • Forage and biomass planting (512)
  • Grassed waterway (412)
  • Heavy use area protection (561)
  • Hedgerow planting (422)
  • Herbaceous weed management (315)
  • Irrigation system - Micro (441)
  • Irrigation system - Sprinkler (442)
  • Livestock pipeline (516)
  • Irrigation pipeline (430)
  • Irrigation water management (449)
  • Livestock watering facility (614)
  • Nutrient management (590)
  • Pest management (595)
  • Prescribed grazing (528)
  • Pumping plant (533)
  • Residue and tillage management, no-till (329)
  • Riparian forest buffer (391)
  • Riparian herbaceous cover (390)
  • Roof runoff structure (558)
  • Sediment basin (350)
  • Site prep (490)
  • Structure for water control (587)
  • Tree/shrub planting (612)
  • Underground outlet (620)
  • Vegetated treatment area (635)
  • Residue and tillage management, no-till (329)
  • Carbon amendment (336)

Project Partners

  • Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District
  • Oregon Department of Agriculture
  • Molalla River Watershed Council
  • Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
  • 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. Do you have a conservation plan from the NRCS or the SWCD that details your conservation priorities, planned practice amounts and locations?                   
  2. Will you be implementing practices  that will reduce the risk of erosion or improve soil health?                                           
  3. Will you be implementing practices that directly benefit a riparian forest buffer?                                                                                                   
  4. Will you be implementing practices  that provide direct protection to water bodies (streams, ponds, wetlands, ditches, swales, drainage tile outlets) on your farming operation?  
  5. Will you be implementing irrigation practices   that have a complete vendor package design that will improve irrigation efficiency by at least 20%?                                          
  6. Will you be implementing practices that will reduce the risk of nutrients, pathogens or chemical pollutants being discharged to surface waters?