Water quality and riparian monitoring on the Oregon Coast

This project allowed staff time to evaluate the other agencies’ water quality data, evaluate effectiveness of plan implementation efforts, and identify geographic areas and issues where restoration work should be focused. This project assisted in augmenting collaboration on monitoring activities with state and federal agencies soil and water conservation districts and watershed councils. Data gathered through riparian monitoring, and evaluation of other agencies’ and organizations’ data, has been and will continue to be used to direct program efforts to maximize water quality and habitat improvements, habitat management and restoration, and action effectiveness evaluation.

This project addresses several limiting factors in the Oregon Coast Coho Conservation Plan, including stream complexity and water quality. Agricultural land management affects stream complexity and water quality through impacts to riparian vegetation and associated high water temperatures, and runoff of pollutants including nutrients, pesticides, and sediment. The recovery plan identifies the Agricultural Water Quality Program as a key strategy to address these issues in agriculture. The plan states that monitoring to evaluate effectiveness is a key element that will help ensure the success of the conservation plan.

The monitoring activities proposed as part of this project will help evaluate the effectiveness of restoration projects and direct restoration activities so they are more strategic and comprehensive. Riparian monitoring occurred within the North Coast, Mid Coast and Coos-Coquille watersheds. We did not propose water quality monitoring sites within this ESU because we believe existing sites monitored by DEQ and other partners are sufficient to represent agriculture’s influence on water quality within the ESU.

Goal is to achieve water quality standards to ensure that the rivers and streams in the Oregon Coast ESU can support healthy populations of salmonids and other aquatic life. Purpose is to work with SWCDs, watershed councils and other stakeholders to ensure restoration efforts are targeted at highest priority restoration needs and are effective at improving riparian conditions. ODA staff coordinate with federal, state and local partners to help ensure riparian restoration activities are coordinated with in-stream habitat restoration to make effective use of restoration resources and to restore stream function to meet water quality and fish management goals. Expected benefits include improved riparian condition and reduction in thermal loading to rivers.