Hudson Bay Aquifer-Spring Restoration
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Photos by the Walla Walla Watershed Council. |
| Partners in the project. |
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| Constructed recharge pit. |
Constructed recharge pit in operation. |
Located in the Walla Walla Basin outside of Milton-Freewater, this project focused on utilizing water from winter and spring runoff to enhance aquifer recharge near the headwaters of Dugger, Johnson, and Goodman creeks, each a tributary of the Walla Walla River. In this alluvial fan, the use of efficient irrigation systems, which kept 25 cubic feet per second of water instream in the historically dewatered stretch, instead of traditional flooding has reduced groundwater recharge.
With its braided channels and cobble, porous soils, the Walla Walla system is very complex. The spring branches were not flowing and the shallow groundwater was beginning to recede. This first-of-its-kind project was designed to test active recharge as a tool to stabilize and restore declining water levels in the aquifer, spring branches, and rivers of the Walla Walla Basin, as well as to maintain summer flow in the Walla Walla River below the irrigation diversions.
The project was developed as a collaborative effort between the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council and Hudson Bay District Improvement Company. Other participants who assisted in the project were Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), Kennedy-Jenks Consulting, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Walla Walla Watershed Alliance, Oregon State University Extension Service, In-situ Inc., Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.
In March and April of 2004, a turnout and three recharge pits were constructed to divert water from the Little Walla Walla River and Hudson Bay’s White Ditch into the project site. This diverted water passively recharges the shallow aquifer via gravity infiltration. The next phase of the project was to conduct several test runs. From April 8 to May 15 of 2004, water was diverted for the first time using the new structures. Next, the project was operated for three separate recharge runs during the fall, winter, and spring of 2004-2005 for a total of 66 days: December 1-28, 2004, February 2-3, 2005, and March 27-May 2, 2005. The project will operate only periodically from 2004-2009 under the OWRD limited-license in order to honor all existing water rights.
Monitoring data has shown positive results from 2004-2005. The structures captured 2,700 acre feet of water, the recharge water “mound” was tracked in down gradient wells, the aquifer responded to White Ditch and recharge project operation, and the recharge water tracked with both Dugger and Johnson Creek watersheds. Informally, area landowners have reported improvements in their wells. The seepage is supplementing the natural recharge of the Walla Walla Basin shallow aquifer, rejuvenating wetlands in nearby spring branches, restoring shallow wells in the immediate vicinity of the ponds, and potentially increasing the groundwater base flow return to the mainstem Walla Walla River. With down gradient spring creeks running again, riparian habitat and fish stocks can thrive. Furthermore, project partners have made an effort to give presentations of their work so that it can be an outreach and educational tool for surface and groundwater relationships in the watershed.
Lorenzen Ranches Livestock Feeding Relocation
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| Before the project, livestock areas were near streams. |
New feeding operation in the uplands away from the stream. |
Photos by Umatilla County Soil and Water Conservation District
Lorenzen Ranches, an 800 head cow-calf operation located in Stage Gulch between Stanfield and Pendleton, holds cattle year round. The confined animal feeding operation was located adjacent to the intermittent stream that flows through Stage Gulch. Several of the livestock pens or lots reached into the stream, creating the potential for sediment and manure to runoff into the stream. The concentration of livestock in the streamside area had also negatively impacted perennial grasses and shrubs. The operation was constrained by canyon walls and a county road, preventing the option to establish a buffer between the feeding operation and the stream.
To reduce the risk that manure and sediment might reach the stream, the feeding area was relocated and a new feed lot was constructed away from the drainage in an upland area. The new feed lot was installed to meet no discharge standards and the design was approved to Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) standards. The pasture establishment, fencing installation, and nutrient management practices were also installed according to NRCS standards and specifications. The previous feeding area location, a total of 20 acres, was leveled and replanted with perennial grasses and shrubs.
Partners in the project included the landowner, the Umatilla Soil and Water Conservation District, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and Blue Mountain Resource Conservation and Development.
Willow Creek Watershed Winter-Feeding Area Improvement
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| Perennial grass waterway (photo by Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District) |
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This project provided assistance to two landowners to redesign their operations where winter feeding areas were along stream and the potential for stream contamination during storm events with overland flow existed. Project partners included the landowners, Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District, and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.
The first property is located along McKinney Creek, a tributary of Rhea Creek in Morrow County. In one location an intermittent stream ran through a working corral where livestock had free access to the stream. In another location, there were several smaller pasture/feeding areas located on the stream where livestock also had free access to the stream. The landowner installed a collector at the top of a corral to carry water from the intermittent stream under the corral to a spot where the water could drain into McKinney Creek. In three separate pastures or winter feeding areas, fence was installed to restrict cattle from the stream, and berms, or waste storage structures, were installed along the fences to prevent the waste of the livestock from entering the creek during overland flow events. In these pastures, off-site watering facilities were also installed to provide water to the livestock.
On the second property, adjacent to Willow Creek below Heppner, an intermittent channel and county culvert entered the property at different locations and ended up in a calving lot near the creek. Lot fences were built at the top of bank, but some areas were not fenced and cattle had free access to the creek. In a confined feeding area with several holding pens, an existing drainage way was reshaped to provide drainage around part of the feeding area. A grassed waterway of perennial grass was constructed and fenced to carry water from the intermittent channel around the other section of the feeding area. Fence was also installed between the feeding area and Willow Creek to prevent livestock from having access to the creek. Between the fence and the feeding area, a waste storage structure was built to catch any waste before it enters the stream.
Both projects are functioning well and the landowners have seen the direct effects of limiting livestock access to streams. On the first property, willow and shrub growth in the riparian area has been significant. On the second property, the landowner has seen an increase in wildlife using the grassed waterway for cover. Both projects will have a beneficial effect on water quality in Willow Creek.
The 2005-2007 Biennial Report provides more information about accomplishments in each watershed basin.
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