60 Ways to Leave Your Groundwater … Cleaner

1. 60 Ways to Leave Your Groundwater … Cleaner Support and Progress for Implementing a Groundwater Protection Plan Audrey Eldridge, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Kevin Fenn, Oregon Department of Agriculture

2. What is a GWMA?

3. A GroundwaterManagement Area (GWMA) is a tool used by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to address a large scale groundwater contamination when the contaminants originate from non-point sources.

4. GWMA Process (in general) • (1) Document contamination • (2) Declare a Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) • (3) Appoint an Advisory Committee • (4) Form an Action Plan • (5) Implement the Action Plan • (6) Rescind the GWMA declaration

5. What are the GWMA parameters and limits of concern? • Think of the Public Drinking Water rules ~ 20 years ago • Then divide the MCL by 50% • That is the limit of contamination that, when exceeded, can trigger a GWMA • Except, when it comes to nitrate ….

6. Nitrate Standards • The public drinking water standard is 10 mg/L • “Action Level” for Oregon GWMA declaration is 7 mg/L

8. SWV Groundwater Resource • Shallow (20-40 ft.) • Unconfined • In some areas, the shallow groundwater overlies a larger and deeper regional aquifer

9. Nearly all of the GWMA Residents Rely on Groundwater

10. Potential Nitrate Sources Human and Animal Waste

11. PotentialNitrate SourcesFertilizers • Function of rate, timing, and water • Cemeteries, parks, crops, lawns, golf courses

12. LandUse is Predominately Agriculture

13. HydrogeologicUnits Willamette Silt Alluvial Materials – younger Alluvial Materials – older

14. Sampling Programs using domestic wells • 2000-2001 Nitrate Testing Looked for good coverage of the area, and targeted shallow wells • 2002 Study Looked to confirm earlier results and determine if any other parameter of concern was present

15. 2000-2001 Nitrate Study • Shallow wells • (less than 75 feet deep) • Good overall coverage • 476 Wells • 437 Private Wells • 29 PWS • 10 Irrigation Wells

16. 2002 Geochemical Study Of the 107 wells that were sampled, most were from the group of 2000-2001 wells that had NO3 greater than 7 mg/l • Also analyzed for pesticides, metals, bacteria, inorganics and caffeine

17. 2002 Nitrate Results 10.1-28 mg/L = 49 wells 7.1-10.0 mg/L = 43 wells 3.1 -7.0 mg/L = 9 wells > 3 mg/L = 6 wells

18. Hydrogeologic Composition and Nitrate Values

19. The GWMA boundaries were also designed to • Be recognizable to the general public, so they would know if they are “in” • Capture most of the high nitrate values seen in the 2000-2002 studies

21. Where Are We Now? • GWMA declared in 2004 • A committee was appointed • An Action Plan was finalized Dec 2006 • Outreach and implementation continues

23. Southern Willamette Valley Groundwater Management Committee • 3 County Commissioners • Small City Mayor • 2 Farmers, 1 CAFO and a Fertilizer Rep. • Watershed Council and CPRCD • Realtors & Residents • Small and Large Businesses • Engineering Firm • Public Water Supply Operator • Natural Resources Advocate

25. Measuring Overall Groundwater Quality - Long Term Programs • Volunteer Monitoring network • Long Term Network - 40 domestic and monitoring wells

28. Nitrate Results • Average Nitrate Value 1st 9 Events for all GW wells = 5.37 mg/L • Average Nitrate Value for 1st 9 Events for all DW Wells = 4.94 mg/L Average of Last 4 Events (2009) GW Wells = DW Wells = 5.05 mg/L 4.75 mg/L

29. Check out these Trends! 2009 15 Domestic Wells 10 decreasing 2 steady 4 increasing 24 Monitoring Wells 10 decreasing 6 steady 7 increasing 1 no show 2008 17 Domestic Wells 4 decreasing 8 steady 5 increasing 24 Monitoring Wells 7 decreasing 7 steady 9 increasing 1 no show

32. Sampling Data

35. 60 Voluntary Strategies From All Land Use Sectors

36. VoluntaryStrategyCategories • Agricultural • Residential • Commercial, Industrial, and Municipal • Public Water Supplies

37. Agricultural Water Quality Plans and Rules Integrated Voluntary and Regulatory Approach Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Work Plans GWMA Action Plan Implementation

38. Residential Focus • Approximately 21,000 people living in the GWMA and nearly all of the GWMA residents rely on groundwater for their drinking water supply. • Many landowners still use hand-dug or driven wells. • Septic Systems--68% of the septic systems in the GWMA do not have a septic system record. • Home and garden fertilizer use

39. Education and Outreach • Free nitrate well water testing. • Volunteer monitoring network • Rural Living Basics Classes • Festivals--Daffodil festival • Kids Day for Conservation • Envirothon

40. Commercial, Industrial, and Municipal • Businesses outside the urban growth boundaries must manage their own wastewater. Five onsite treatment facilities. • Four municipal wastewater treatment lagoons. • Three bulk fertilizer facilities in the GWMA. • Fertilizer application practices (golf courses, cemeteries, etc…)

41. City of Coburg: Wastewater Treatment System • Currently, all 410 residential homes have individual septic systems. • Also, three commercial and industrial sites would be treated at the public wastewater treatment facility. • Has been a very long and contentious process, but now has enough public support to move forward.

42. Agricultural Focus • 113,350 acres (93 % of the area) Includes grains, hay and forage, seed crops, field crops, vegetables, fruits, and various specialty seed crops. Known as the “grass seed capitol of the world.” • Eight permitted Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) • Small acreage agricultural landowners.

43. Agricultural Changes • Rise in fertilizer & fuel cost = Farm management changes (= Manure more valuable) • Loss of Vegetable Processing Ability • Increase in Grass Seed (uptake Nitrogen) • Declining Peppermint Price • Crop diversification toward grass seed • Adoption of precision agriculture practices These Changes = Less Nitrogen Input and Loss

44. DEQ 319 Grant Implementation • Partnership between Upper Willamette, Linn, and Benton SWCDs. • Funds for Education and Outreach and for implementation of projects. • Projects included irrigation efficiency upgrades, riparian plantings, manure facilities, and pasture upgrades.

45. FourSources of Nitrate Analyzed by the Nitrogen Budget 1,704 annual tons 74 annual tons 109 annual tons

46. Uptake ratios take into account conditions and management practices

47. Nitrogen Potentially Lost Per Acre Depending on Utilization (conditions and management practices)

48. NRCS EQIP GWMA Prioritization • Identification of priority area • Recruitment of landowners • $250,000 allocated for: - Conservation crop rotation - Cover crops - Nutrient Management - Irrigation Water Management - Irrigation system upgrades

49. Agricultural Chemical Removal Project • Provided, a free no-risk opportunity for farmers to get rid of legacy agricultural chemicals. • Resulted in the removal of approximately 25 tons of undesired chemicals. Of this, approximately 18 tons were pesticides, including nearly a ton of DDT.

50. Overall GoalClean Drinking Waterhttp://gwma.oregonstate.edu/