Upper Willamette SWCD Capacity 2025-2027

This project will occur within the Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District’s boundary; mainly eastern Lane County. The project location encompasses both the Southern Willamette & Upper Willamette/Upper Siuslaw Agricultural Water Quality Management Area Plans (Area Plan). This project will implement the applicable (Area Plan) by using the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) as the local management agency to the fullest extent practical.
The SWCD will: engage agricultural landowners and provide technical assistance, implement projects to improve agricultural water quality, develop partnerships to support this project, monitor or evaluate conditions, use adaptive management to support continuous improvement, and support ODA in conducting biennial reviews of Area Plans. This project will contribute to achieving the goals of the Area Plan and to implementation of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds on agricultural lands. This project includes targeted work identified in the SWCD’s agricultural water quality Scope of Work (SOW). Project Partners Include: The Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District, The Oregon Department of Agriculture, Long Tom Watershed Council, Coast Fork Watershed Council - Working lands program.
Although the engagement in this project will lead to future restoration, the value of treatments leveraged cannot be estimated at this time.

The goals of this project include engaging with agricultural landowners throughout the Upper Willamette SWCD region. Activities include conducting site visits to determine natural resource concerns and impacts on Salmonid populations and other native species. The SWCD will provide recommendations for landowners to enhance and restore native riparian buffers, increase native plant diversity, reduce invasive vegetation, decrease agricultural nutrients, chemicals, and sediment loss, and improve habitats for Salmonids and other native aquatic species.