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Upper Yaquina Water Quality

County or Counties: Lincoln 

Primary Resource Concerns Addressed:

  • Aquatic habitat - Elevated water temperature
  • Field sediment, nutrient and pathogen loss - Sediment transported to surface water
  • Field sediment, nutrient and pathogen loss - Nutrients transported to surface water

Project Description
Loss of riparian vegetation on grazed or developed floodplains has led to extensive water quality degradation and subsequent loss of essential fish habitat in the Yaquina River basin in Lincoln County on Oregon’s Mid-Coast. This Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS) works to improve water quality through riparian restoration and pasture improvements on agricultural lands within two sub-basins of the Upper Yaquina watershed, Bales Creek-Yaquina River and Little Elk Creek. Restoring riparian function and surrounding pasture though increased vegetative filtration, stream bank stabilization, and shade will reduce stream temperatures and excessive sediment while increasing associated dissolved oxygen content to support salmon spawning habitat. The project area is concurrent with the 2021-2025 Upper Yaquina Strategic Implementation Area led by the Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District and Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Conservation Practices Offered

  • Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (102)  
  • Riparian Forest Buffer (391)  
  • Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490)  
  • Conservation Cover (327)  
  • Wildlife Habitat Planting (420)  
  • Brush Management (314) 
  • Herbaceous Weed Treatment (315) 
  • Restoration of Rare or Declining Natural Communities (643)  
  • Fence (382)  
  • Prescribed Grazing (528)  
  • Stream Crossing (578)  
  • Watering Facility (614)  
  • Livestock Pipeline (516)  
  • Pumping Plant (533)  
  • Heavy Use Area Protection (561) 
  • Roof Runoff Structure (558) 
  • Roofs and Covers (367)  
  • Composting Facility (317)  
  • Underground Outlet (620)  
  • Structure for Water Control (587)  
  • Stream Habitat Improvement (395)

Project Partners

  • Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District
  • Oregon Department of Agriculture
  • Mid Coast Watersheds Council
  • Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
  • OSU Extension Service
  • 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. Application includes a protected riparian forest buffer that will provide stream shading to directly improve elevated water temperatures.
  2. Application includes practices that will directly improve sediment, nutrient, or pathogen transport to surface waters.
  3. The landowner has all necessary permits required to implement planned practices or is actively working with a partner entity to secure necessary permits.
  4. The conservation plan has been developed or funded by more than one entity/partner, or it is part of a larger project that addresses water quality, floodplain connectivity, or access to critical habitat for ESA-listed species.
  5. Planned practices are contiguous with other intact riparian habitats or active riparian restoration projects.
  6. The applicant will address all invasive weed issues within the project area for a minimum of 2 years following planting.
  7. Application includes planting at least 5 species of native flowering shrubs or wildflowers that will benefit pollinator habitat.