Cleaner Rivers for Oregon Why Our Rivers Need Our Help By Teresa Huntsinger Copyright © 2007 by the Oregon Environmental Council We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Jubitz Family Foundation, the Clean Water Network, the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, and Bill and Julie Young, all of which helped make this report possible. Design by Jeff Gierer and Bryan Potter Cover photos by Greg Zivney, Thomas O’Keefe and Patrick Hanson Illustrations by Matt Wuerker The Oregon Environmental Council safeguards what Oregonians love about Oregon – clean air and water, an unpolluted landscape and healthy food produced by local farmers. For 40 years we’ve been a champion for solutions to protect the health of every Oregonian and the health of the place we call home. We work to create innovative change on three levels: we help individuals live green, we help businesses – including agriculture and health care – thrive with sustainable practices, and we help elected officials create practical policy. Our vision for Oregon includes ending global warming, building sustainable economies, protecting kids from toxins, cleaning up our rivers and ensuring healthy foods and local farms. We offer a variety of resources and events to help people make changes at home, at work and across the state. Join thousands of Oregonians by becoming a member today at www.oeconline.org. Printed on 100% recycled paper (30% post-consumer content) with soy-based inks. 1 oeconline.org Ten Oregon Rivers 7 COLUMBIA RED ALERT 306 miles long Basin area approximately 50,000 square miles 9 DESCHUTES YELLOW ALERT 245 miles long Basin area approximately 10,700 square miles 13 JOHN DAY YELLOW ALERT 284 miles long Basin area approximately 8,000 square miles 11 GRANDE RONDE YELLOW ALERT 174 miles long Basin area approximately 3,700 square miles 21 SNAKE ORANGE ALERT 270 miles long Basin area approximately 16,900 square miles 15 MALHEUR ORANGE ALERT 190 miles long Basin area approximately 4,700 square miles 17 OWYHEE ORANGE ALERT 186 miles long Basin area approximately 6,000 square miles 23 UMPQUA YELLOW ALERT 112 miles long Basin area approximately 5,000 square miles 25 WILLAMETTE RED ALERT 187 miles long Basin area approximately 11,400 square miles 19 ROGUE YELLOW ALERT 215 miles long Basin area approximately 5,000 square miles Cleaner Rivers for Oregon 2 Cleaner Rivers for O that state policies protect water such a plan can take several years. We Oregonians love our rivers, quality and support these local Every single one of Oregon's major and they need our help. From the efforts, and we're helping people find rivers is on the 303(d) list for one Willamette to the Owyhee, every out what they can do to make sure pollutant or another, most for many major river in Oregon is violating our rivers are safe places for pollutants. OEC is especially Clean Water Act standards. This Oregonians to swim, play and fish. concerned about listings for bacteria report seeks to make information No matter where you are at this and toxics because of the dangers about the health of our rivers more moment, you are in a watershed. they pose to human health. accessible to Oregonians. Learn which When a drop of water hits the The challenge we face in pollutants are impacting the rivers ground, if it is not absorbed by plants interpreting the 303(d) list is that it you live nearby, play on, or even get or allowed to soak into the soil, it will is based on numerous data sources your drinking water from, and what eventually make its way downhill into gathered in an ad-hoc way, and water can be done to clean them up. a river, bringing with it any quality monitoring is not consistent In this report you'll find examples pollutants it picks up along the way. from river to river. In some cases a of the great work that is happening Our actions impact water quality river segment may be listed for a around the state to clean up Oregon's even when we are not right next to a pollutant because it tested positive at rivers. Each of these projects makes a stream. You can help clean up one location several years ago, but it difference, and by working together Oregon's rivers by using the tips in has not been tested since, and other we can turn around the fate of our this report, and additional tips are rivers have never been tested for that rivers. The Oregon Environmental available in OEC's booklet “50 Ways pollutant. Federal and state funding Council (OEC) is working to ensure to Love Your River,” available at for implementing the Clean Water www.oeconline.org. Act and monitoring Oregon's waters is woefully inadequate, leading to ALERT LEVELS Sources of information these data gaps. We supplemented Red Alert Our data comes from a government the information in the 303(d) list by Columbia and Willamette report called the 303(d) list. Every contacting local watershed groups These rivers have serious water quality two years, Oregon's Department of and reviewing scientific watershed problems, including toxics that are Environmental Quality (DEQ) assessments. dangerous to human and aquatic health. develops a list of streams and rivers It is important to note that the Orange Alert that do not meet minimum water state of water quality in Oregon's Malheur, Owyhee and Snake quality standards (named the 303(d) largest rivers is greatly impacted by These rivers have significant water quality list after the section of the Federal the tributaries that feed into them. In problems, often including toxics and bacteria. Clean Water Act that requires it). We most cases, water quality declines as used the most recent version, which you move from a headwaters stream Yellow Alert is the 2004/2006 303(d) list. You can down a river to its mouth, because Deschutes, Grande Ronde, John Day, find the 303(d) list at pollutants are added and surrounding Rogue and Umpqua These rivers have some water quality www.deq.state.or.us/wq/assessment/ lands change from forested to problems, but they do not violate rpt0406/search.asp. Each time the agricultural and urban. But in some standards for toxics and they have some list is updated, additional miles of cases smaller streams have unique stretches that are in relatively good condition. rivers are added if they are found to water quality problems that become be exceeding pollution limits. Rivers diluted once they reach a major river. Green Alert are removed from the list when water Taking action to protect and restore No major Oregon rivers quality improves, or when a plan is streams and uplands throughout a These rivers have good water quality and they do not violate Clean Water Act developed to manage the culprit watershed can improve the standards. pollutants. The process of developing conditions of our major rivers and 3 oeconline.org Oregon provide important habitat for fish levels indicate the excessive growth of POLLUTANTS IN TEN OREGON RIVERS and wildlife. Water quality is algae. While chlorophyll levels impacted not only by pollution, but naturally fluctuate over time, long- TEMPERATURE also by water flow, streamside term persistence of high chlorophyll DISSOLVED OXYGEN vegetation, and changes to the stream levels can indicate poor water quality FECAL COLIFORM channel, and these factors are and excess nutrient levels. important for overall stream health. MERCURY Dioxin DIOXIN What is polluting Oregon’s Dioxins are some of the most toxic rivers? and carcinogenic compounds known. pH In addition to causing cancer, they act DDT &DDE Arsenic like a hormone in the body, In Oregon, the principle source of disrupting the endocrine system (the TOTAL DISSOLVED GAS arsenic in surface water and glands that produce hormones) and ARSENIC groundwater is believed to be native suppressing the immune system. rocks and soil. Arsenic residues also Dioxins break down very slowly, so DIELDRIN & ALDRIN come from industrial processes, they tend to accumulate in aquatic SEDIMENT paints and pesticides. Arsenic has life, from algae to fish. Dioxins are been used as a poison for centuries, produced as a byproduct from the IRON and at low levels over a long period of manufacture of chlorinated MANGANESE time it can cause cancer. herbicides, the combustion of BIOLOGICAL CRITERIA domestic and industrial wastes, and Aquatic Weeds & Algae chlorine bleaching of wood pulp and CHLOROPHYLL Weeds or algae can be so rampant paper. AQUATIC WEEDS & ALGAE that they interfere with using a stream or significantly reduce its Dissolved Oxygen (DO) PHOSPHORUS surface area. Excessive algae can also Just like it sounds, this is the amount contribute to other water quality of oxygen dissolved in water. PCBs impairments, such as pH or dissolved Dissolved oxygen (DO) is not a PAHs oxygen. pollutant; on the contrary, fish need oxygen to breathe through their gills. TURBIDITY Biological Criteria Streams are listed when dissolved PENTACHLOROPHENOL Rivers are listed for biological criteria oxygen levels are dangerously low. A when there is significant damage to number of factors impact dissolved 0 500 1000 1500 2000 fish and it is suspected that the cause oxygen levels. Aquatic plants produce MILES OF POLLUTED RIVER is pollution-related. For example, oxygen through photosynthesis, and sections of the Willamette River are it is removed from the water by plant Each bar on this graph shows the number of listed due to skeletal deformities in and animal respiration and miles on the mainstems of Oregon's ten longest rivers that violate water quality fish. decomposition of organic material. standards for each pollutant, according to Cold, fast-flowing water holds more DEQ.