Groundwater Resource Guide
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Oregon Public Water Systems Groundwater Resource Guide For Drinking Water Source Protection October 2017 Version 1.0 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Environmental Solutions Division Watershed Management Oregon Health Authority Center for Health Protection Drinking Water Services A Call to Action - A Recommitment to Assessing and Protecting Sources of Drinking Water “Our vision…Federal, state, and local actions reflect the high value of safe drinking water: the high value of drinking water is widely recognized at all levels of government and among the general public…” (Appendix 1, Source Water Collaborative, 2014) This report prepared by: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Environmental Solutions Division Watershed Management Section 811 SW 6th Avenue Portland, OR 97204 1-800-452-4011 www.oregon.gov/deq Contact: Sheree Stewart [email protected] NOTE: This document is “Version 1.0” and dated October 2017. It will be made available on DEQ’s Drinking Water Protection website in October 2017. DEQ anticipates there will be frequent revisions and updates on this document. Please feel free to make suggestions for improvements so that we can make the document more valuable to the public water systems in Oregon. Groundwater Resource Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS PROJECT JUSTIFICATION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 DRINKING WATER REGULATORY OVERVIEW ...........................................5 Safe Drinking Water Act .........................................................................................................5 Clean Water Act .....................................................................................................................6 Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water .................................................7 2.0 GROUNDWATER CHARACTERIZATION AND RISKS ...................................8 Groundwater Susceptibility ...................................................................................................9 Oregon Public Water Systems ...............................................................................................11 Source Water Assessments ..............................................................................................11 Updated Source Water Assessments ..............................................................................12 Using Oregon Data to Identify Priorities ................................................................................13 Nitrate Data and Susceptibility ........................................................................................19 Pesticide Data and Susceptibility .....................................................................................26 3.0 PARTNERS, RESOURCES, AND FUNDS ......................................................30 Technical Assistance - Partner Organizations by County.......................................................30 Resources and Funds .............................................................................................................36 4.0 PLACE-BASED PLANNING FOR SOURCE WATER .......................................51 Planning Process for Protection .............................................................................................52 Data Available to Support Groundwater Protection Efforts..................................................54 5.0 POLLUTANT REDUCTION TOOLS ...............................................................57 Land Cover Maps ...................................................................................................................58 Urban Homeowners and Pesticides .......................................................................................61 Nitrate Leaching Potential Rating ..........................................................................................62 Common Crop-Pesticide Associations ...................................................................................70 Conservation Practices ...........................................................................................................77 Nutrient Management ...........................................................................................................77 Potential Goals and Outcomes for Using Tools .....................................................................79 6.0 LAND USES AND REGULATORY AUTHORITIES ..........................................79 Aggregate & Mineral Mining / Extraction Wells ....................................................................80 Agricultural Lands ..................................................................................................................81 Commercial and Industrial Lands ..........................................................................................82 Federal Lands .........................................................................................................................82 Forest Lands ...........................................................................................................................83 Onsite Septic Systems ............................................................................................................84 Pesticide Regulations .............................................................................................................85 Private Domestic Wells ..........................................................................................................87 Public Drinking Water Wells ..................................................................................................89 Residential Lands ...................................................................................................................90 Water Quality Permits ...........................................................................................................90 7.0 RELATED WATER QUALITY ISSUES/PROJECTS ..........................................91 Climate Change Impacts ........................................................................................................91 Groundwater Management Areas .........................................................................................92 Total Maximum Daily Loads ..................................................................................................93 Statewide Toxics Monitoring and Assessment ......................................................................93 Sole Source Aquifer Protection Program ..............................................................................94 Collaborative Projects in Agriculture .....................................................................................94 Corrosivity and Lead Exposure ..............................................................................................94 Other Example Groundwater Projects ...................................................................................96 8.0 REFERENCES .............................................................................................98 TABLES Table 1. Factors Influencing Pesticide Transport and Groundwater Vulnerability ...................... 29 Table 2. Example Land Characteristics and Cover Identified through Imagery............................ 59 Table 3. Example Nitrate Leaching Potential Data Summary ....................................................... 64 Table 4. Common Crop-Pesticide Associations in Oregon............................................................ 71 FIGURES Figure 1. Drinking Water Source Areas for Public Water Systems Using Groundwater .............. 10 Figure 2. Approximate Percentage of Land Uses within Drinking Water Source Areas ............... 15 Figure 3. Compilation of Oregon Data for Nitrates in Groundwater ............................................ 21 Figure 4. Statewide Predicted Groundwater Vulnerability to Nitrate Contamination ................. 23 Figure 5. Statewide Nitrate Leaching Potential – Non-irrigated .................................................. 25 Figure 6. Percentage of Pesticide Active Ingredient by Land Use / Activity in Oregon ................ 28 Figure 7. Process Diagram for Drinking Water Source Protection ............................................... 53 Figure 8. Land Cover Map - Example ............................................................................................ 60 Figure 9. Nitrate Leaching Potential Map – Example ................................................................... 63 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1. Source Water Collaborative -- Call to Action ......................................................... 102 APPENDIX 2. Pollutant Reduction Strategies for Land Uses / Activities ..................................... 105 APPENDIX 3. Categorical Crop-to-Pesticide Table ...................................................................... 120 APPENDIX 4. Corrosivity Potential – Oregon Monitoring Data Map .......................................... 121 APPENDIX 5. Drinking Water Protection Websites..................................................................... 122 PROJECT JUSTIFICATION Why is there a need for a “Groundwater Resource Guide”? Oregon faces many challenges with water quantity, water quality, and ecosystem needs. Oregon’s people rely upon water to drink, to irrigate and grow food, to supply livestock, to build products, to move goods, to recreate, to produce energy. Clean water is essential to Oregon’s environmental health—for the trees, native plants, wetlands, aquatic life, and human health.