USDA Report on WATER and RELATED LAND RESOURCES MIDDLE WILLAMETTE RIVER BASIN OREGON 'Based on a cooperative Survey by THE STATE WATER RESOURCES BOARD OF URREGO.N P r e p a r ed b y - ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE" FOREST SERVICE" SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE JULY 1 9 6 2 USDA Report on WATER AND RELATED LAND RESOURCES MIDDLE WILLAMETTE RIVER BASIN OREGON Based on a Cooperative Survey by THE STATE WATER RESOURCES BOARD OF OREGON and THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Report Prepared by USDA River Basin Survey Field Party, Salem, Oregon H.H.Ralphs,Soil Conservation Service, Leader D.D.Raitt,Economic Research Service W.C.Fessel,Forest Service H.E,Carnahan, Soil Conservation Service K.K.Smith, Roil Conservation Service, Typist Under Direction of USDA Field Advisory Committee T.P.Helseth, Soil ConservationService,Chairman A.R.Blanch, Economic ResearchService K.W.Linstedt, Forest Service July 1962 P CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..................................................... SUMMARY.......................................................... iii GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIN................................. 1 LOCATION AND SIZE........................................... PHYSICAL ASPECTS............................................. Geology ............................................... Coast RangeUplift ................................ Willamette Valley Trough .......................... Western and High Cascades......................... Topography.......................................... Coast Range....................................... Willamette Valley ................................. Cascade Range..................................... Soils.................................................. CoastRange...... .................................. Willamette Valley Trough .......................... Cascade Range..................................... Land Capability................................... Climate................................................ SETTLEMENT ANDHISTORY... ................................... POPULATION.................................................. EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRY..................................... POWER. ................................................. TRANSPORTATION.............................................. LANDOWNERSHIP............................................... LAND USE.................................................... FOREST LAND MANAGEMENT IN THE BASIN.............................. 27 CHARACTERISTICS OF FORESTED AREAS. 27 Forest Stands........................................... 27 Forest Landownership..................................... 28 Forest Land Use .......................................... 31 Land Class and Cover Type Classification.......... 32 Protection of Forest Resources......................... 34 Protection from Fire.............................. 34 Protection from Insect,Disease,and Animal Damage.......................................... 34 TIMBER............. ............................. ................ 35 The Resource.......................................... 35 Logging and Wood-Using Industries...................... 37 Harvesting and Regeneration Methods.................... 40 Sustained Yield Potential.............................. 43 Public Lands...................................... 43 Private Land ...................................... 45 u RECREATION. 46 Pattern of Use......................................... 46 Trends in Use.......................................... 48 Public Recreational Facilities......................... 49 WILDLIFE .................................................... 51 Big Game ............................................... 51 Small Game ............................................. 52 Furbearers ............................................. 52 Predators .............................................. 53 Anadromous Fish ...................................... 53 Native Fish ............................................ 53 RANGE....................................................... 54 WATER. 54 Water Yield ............................................ 54 Water Requirements on Forest Land ...................... 56 Domestic .......................................... 56 Livestock .............. 57 Recreation ........................................ 58 Wildlife ......................................... 58 Fish Life ......................................... 58 Industrial ........................................ 59 Fire Control ...................................... 59 AGRICULTURE IN THE BASIN ......................................... 61 GENERAL ..................................................... 61 AgriculturalData...................................... 61 Agricultural Land Use .................................. 61 CHARACTERISTICS OF AGRICULTURE .............................. 73 Number andSize of Farms............................... 73 Tenure ................................................. 74 Livestock and Poultry .................................. 75 AgriculturalIncome.................................... 76 Marketing .............................................. 80 IRRIGATION .................................................. 80 Irrigated Acreage ...................................... 83 Source of Water and Method of Application .............. 84 Sizeof Irrigated Acreage .............................. 86 Cost of Irrigation ..................................... 86 Trends in Irrigation ................................... 87 Future Irrigation ...................................... 87 WATER RELATED PROBLEMS IN THE BASIN.............................. 91 WATER SUPPLY ................................................ 91 Irrigation ............................................. 92 Livestock .............................................. 94 Forestry and Related Uses .............................. 94 IRRIGATION SYSTEMS .......................................... 95 DRAINAGE .................................................... 96 WATER RELATED DAMAGES ....................................... 97 Forested Watersheds .................................... 99 Valley Areas ........................................... 103 NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF WATER AND RELATED LAND RESOURCES......................................... 111 WATERSHEDMANAGEMENT .. Ill Forested Land .......................................... 111 Agricultural Land...................................... 112 Irrigation........................................ 112 Drainage.......................................... 113 Erosion Control................................... 116 WATER DEVELOPMENT........................................... 120 Ground Water........................................... 121 Surface Water.......................................... 121 Storage ................................................ 122 OPPORTUNITIES FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION AND FLOOD PREVENTION PROJECTS. 125 5. SANTIAM SUBBASIN ........................................ 136 Watershed D, Millersburg-Dever ......................... 136 Watershed E, BearBranch ............................... 138 Watershed F, Sucker Slough ............................. 139 Watershed I, Crabtree Creek ............................ 140 Watershed K, Albany Flats .............................. 142 Watershed R, Hamilton Creek........ ..................... 143 Watershed S, McDowell Creek ............................ 145 6. COAST RANGE SUBBASIN .................................... 146 Watershed A, North Yamhill River. 146 Watershed B, Chehalem Creek ............................ 148 Watershed C7, Bowers Slough ............................ 149 Watershed E, Panther Creek ............................. 151 Watershed F, Baker Creek............................... 152 Watershed G, Deer Creek ................................ 153 Watershed H, Willamina Creek ........................... 155 Watershed I, Cosper Creek .............................. 157 Watershed J, Agency Creek .............................. 158 Watershed K, Upper South Yamhill ....................... 159 Watershed M, Palmer Creek.... .......................... 160 Watershed P, Mill Creek................................ 162 Watershed R, Rickreall Creek........................... 163 Watershed T, Little Luckiamute River ................... 165 Watershed U, Luckiamute River ........................ 166 7. PUDDING SUBBASIN ........................................ 168 Watershed B, Champoeg Creek................ I ... I ...... o 168 Watershed C, Lower Pudding River ....................... 169 Watershed D, Rock Creek ................................ 170 Watershed E, Bear Creek ................................ 172 Watershed F, Gribble Creek ............................. 173 Watershed G, Molalla River ............................. 174 Watershed H, Milk Creek....o ................ o .......... 176 MEANS TO ACCOMPLISHNEEDEDWORK. 179 PROGRAMS OF USDA.9, ................................. 179 0 COORDINATION OF USDA PROGRAMS WITH OTHER BASIN ACTIVITIES... 179 TABLES Number Page 1. Acreages by land capability class ....13 2. Population distribution ..................... 16 3. Land use and ownership ................................... 23 4. National forest land ...................... ............ 32 5. Land administered by BLM ................................. 33 6. Land' administered by Oregon Board of Forestry............. 33 7. Commercial forest land by ownership ...................... 36 8. National forest timber volume ............................ 36 9. Timber volume by species