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Saving Groundwater in the Harney Basin using Efficient Irrigation

County: Harney

Primary Resource Concern Addressed: 

  • Source water depletion - Groundwater depletion, Inefficient irrigation water use, Surface water depletion
  • Inefficient energy use - Energy efficiency of equipment and facilities, Energy efficiency of farming/ranching practices and field operations
  • Degraded plant condition - Plant productivity and health, Plant structure and composition

Project Description
In 2016, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) established the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern and suspended the issuance of additional groundwater permits pending the results of a 5 year groundwater study.  OWRD's current estimate of groundwater recharge is approximately 260,000 acre-feet annually in the Harney Basin, while permitted uses approach 261,300 acre-feet.  A GIS analysis conducted by Harney County in 2017 identified 62,428 acres of pivots established in the Basin.  The goal of this Conservation Implementation Strategy is to reduce groundwater use on 13% of these acres within 5 years, by converting from Mid-Elevation Sprinkler Application (MESA) systems to Low Elevation Sprinkler Application (LESA) systems and/or converting from alfalfa/grass hay production to native plant seed production.

Conservation Practices Offered

  • Irrigation System, Sprinkler (442)
  • Pumping Plant (533)
  • Irrigation Water Management (449)
  • Structure for Water Control (587)
  • Conservation Cover (327)
  • Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
  • Cover Crop (340)
  • Critical Area Planting (342)
  • Irrigation Pipeline (430)
  • Irrigation System, Microirrigation (441)
  • Nutrient Management (590)
  • Pest Management Conservation System (595)

Project Partners

  • Harney County Watershed Council
  • Harney County Court
  • Oregon Water Resources Department
  • USDA - Agricultural Research Service
  • High Desert Partnership
  • 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. Will the project involve converting from alfalfa and/or grass hay production to native seed production with reduced irrigation demands?
  2. Will the project involve converting from Mid-Elevation Sprinkler Application (MESA) to Low Elevation Sprinkler Application (LESA) or micro-irrigation?
  3. Is the current irrigation system being operated and maintained to apply water within the expected range of efficiency for the system?
  4. Is a operational flow meter currently installed on the system?
  5. Is the project located within 5 miles of a well with a decline in the hydrograph?