Oregon Agricultural Water Quality2016 Compliance Program ReportThe purpose of the Agriculture Water Quality Program is to prevent and control water pollution from agriculture activities, and to help achieve water quality standards. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) conducts investigations to determine compliance with agriculture water quality regulations. Additional information is available for the ODA Strategic Implementation Area (SIA) process and outcomes (see separate SIA report).

*Letter

of

Compliance

ODA’s 214 site inspections resulted in 192 compliance actions. These totals include follow-up investigations for all open cases.

From 1998 through 2016, ODA issued 960 compliance actions.

167 Compliance Investigations Opened Types of Issues

73 (44%)ODA SIA:

49 (29%)

Public written

complaint:

36 (22%)

Agency referral:

ODA observation: 9 (5%)2016 2016 SIA Cases

41

49

55

28

22

33

14

1 1

1

Sediment Manure Nutrients PesticidesRiparianNote: Cases often have multiple issues investigated.

Compliance Actions Issued

18

20 710

15

3

15

5013

30

6

32

* Pre-enforcement action

2016 2016 SIA

*In-Fiel

d Determ

ination:

In Compliance

* Fix-

it Lett

er

* Wate

r Quali

ty Advis

ory

*Letter

of Warn

ing

* In-Fiel

d Determ

ination:

Pre-Enforce

ment

Notice o

f Nonco

mpliance

Letter of Compliance 20 18 295 (initiated in 2004)In-Field Determination: 10 7 25 In Compliance (initiated in 2015)Fix-It Letter 15 3 35 (initiated in 2012)Water Quality Advisory 50 15 312Letter of Warning 30 13 239 (initiated in 2015)In-Field Determination: 6 3 11 Pre-Enforcement (initiated in 2015) Notice of Noncompliance 2 0 28Civil Penalty 0 0 12Settlement Agreement 0 0 3

2016 1998- Compliance Action 2016 SIA 2016

1

Oregon Agricultural Water Quality 2016 Compliance Program Report

200

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

50

100

150

Strategic Implementation Area

Other Agency Referral

ODA Observation

Public Written Complaint

The program began in 1998. From the beginning through 2016, ODA has initiated at total of 935 compliance investigations on agricultural lands. In 2016, ODA opened cases for the seven Strategic Implementation Areas (SIA) initiated in 2015, in addition to the two SIAs that were started in 2014.

Willamette 108 601Southwest 23 130North-Mid Coast 13 73Deschutes 16 69John Day-Umatilla 0 28Snake 3 26High Desert 4 8

Total Investigations 167 935

Reporting area 2016 Total to date

1 54

44

510

610

19

10

15

19

15

4136

34

5

38

219

233

26 29

13

20

20

7

12

23

11

18

38

8

20

19

13

17

12

11

22

2522

26

18

49

9

36

73

Agricultural Water Quality Reporting Areas

2

Compliance Investigations Initiated Per Year

Oregon Agricultural Water Quality 2016 Strategic Implementation Area SummaryThe Strategic Implementation Area (SIA) process addresses water quality concerns in specific geographic areas. The SIA process identifies agricultural properties that are likely polluting surface and ground water. If ODA documents concerns, ODA works with landowners to take corrective actions. This approach helps ODA and partners to “tell the story” of how Agriculture is protecting water quality.

SIA Map

Two pilot SIAs were selected in 2014. ODA selected another seven SIAs in 2015 and six more SIAs were started in 2016.

3

Oregon Agricultural Water Quality 2016 Strategic Implementation Area Summary

4

Compliance Evaluation Results and Compliance Cases

ODA conducted remote and field evaluations from public viewpoints to identify potential sources of pollution from agricultural activities. Following the evaluation process, ODA contacted landowners to offer assistance and determine compliance with the local rules.

Tax Lot Evaluation Categories

Indian Ford Creek

Nehalem River

Lower Salt Creek

Threemile Creek

Wagner Creek

Lower North Yamhill River

Upper Johnson Creek

Total for all 2015-2016 SIAs

Total Tax Lots 377 868 1,365 735 1,249 584 1,698 6,876

Not Applicable 177 600 459 227 671 68 166 2,368

Total Assessed Tax Lots w/Agricultural Activities

100 134 453 254 289 258 766 2,254

No Concern 77 104 378 244 239 225 695 1,962

Low Concern 3 21 39 4 43 17 48 175

Moderate Concern 12 7 29 4 5 12 23 92

Significant Concern 8 2 6 2 2 4 0 24

Serious Concern 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

Total Compliance Cases for Moderate, Significant and Serious Concerns

9 9 19 5 5 13 13 73

Not Applicable: Non-agricultural areas including federal lands, tribal trust lands, urban and forest lands with no agricultural activities, and rural residential properties under one acre.

No Concern: No water quality concerns related to agricultural activities.

Low Concern: Minimal potential for agricultural activities to impact surface or groundwater, or vegetation along streams is inadequate, but unable to determine if agricultural activities are limiting vegetation.

Moderate Concern: Likely potential for agricultural activities to impair surface or ground water, or agricultural activities may be preventing adequate vegetation along streams.

Significant Concern: Field-verified likely potential for agricultural activities to impair surface or ground water, or agricultural activities may be preventing adequate vegetation along streams.

Serious Concern: Field-verified pollution of surface or ground water, or removal of vegetation along streams.

Number of Compliance Cases: Compliance cases were opened for tax lots with “Moderate,” “Significant,” and “Serious” concern levels. Cases may be closed with no investigation if further information indicates there are no likely concerns.

Evaluation Category Definitions