Search

Search Results

• 51. [Article] Review of Appraisal of the archeological resources of twelve reservoirs in the Willamette Valley, Oregon

  1 p. Review produced for HC 441: Science Colloquium: Willamette River Environmental Health, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon, Spring term, 2004.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Review of Appraisal of the archeological resources of twelve reservoirs in the Willamette Valley, Oregon Author: Gordon, Eleanor, River Basin Surveys, Columbia Basin Project Year: 2006, 2004 1 p. Review produced for HC 441: Science Colloquium: Willamette River Environmental Health, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon, Spring term, 2004. Title: Review of Appraisal of the archeological resources of twelve reservoirs in the Willamette Valley, Oregon Author: Gordon, Eleanor, River Basin Surveys, Columbia Basin Project Year: 2006, 2004 1 p. Review produced for HC 441: Science Colloquium: Willamette River Environmental Health, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon, Spring term, 2004. Close

• 52. [Article] ODFW Rogue Adult Fish Presence Survey Final Report

  Abstract -- The report contains field season information for 2001-2003. The specific objectives of this project are 1) to determine the upper limits of fish distribution in previously unsurveyed streams ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: ODFW Rogue Adult Fish Presence Survey Final Report Abstract -- The report contains field season information for 2001-2003. The specific objectives of this project are 1) to determine the upper limits of fish distribution in previously unsurveyed streams in the Rogue Basin and 2) to locate and describe artificial barriers to fish passage. The report contains methods, results, discussion, and summary tables. Title: ODFW Rogue Adult Fish Presence Survey Final Report Abstract -- The report contains field season information for 2001-2003. The specific objectives of this project are 1) to determine the upper limits of fish distribution in previously unsurveyed streams in the Rogue Basin and 2) to locate and describe artificial barriers to fish passage. The report contains methods, results, discussion, and summary tables. Close

• 53. [Article] The Shade Credit Incentive Landscapes of the McKenzie/Willamette Confluence

  Increasing population and land use decisions have had a negative effect on the aquatic ecosystems in the Willamette River Basin. One result is elevated temperatures in many of the Basin’s streams, which ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Shade Credit Incentive Landscapes of the McKenzie/Willamette Confluence Author: Shaub, Nathan C. Increasing population and land use decisions have had a negative effect on the aquatic ecosystems in the Willamette River Basin. One result is elevated temperatures in many of the Basin’s streams, which adversely affect the fish that live in these streams. There are several regulatory mechanisms in place to improve water quality; however, recent attention has been focused on market-based pollution credit trading systems as an alternative approach. Clean Water Services, the public water utility in the Tualatin Watershed near Portland recently began the first program in the country to trade temperature pollution credits for creating shade. This project explores the distribution of high and low shade credit potential in the landscape around the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers using the peer reviewed WET_Temp stream temperature model. The intent of this project is to provide a tool for land use planners to explore the geographic characteristics of high incentive areas (high shade potential) and target these areas with shade credit programs. Also, this project explores the effects of management decisions on the changing shade credit incentive landscape. Title: The Shade Credit Incentive Landscapes of the McKenzie/Willamette Confluence Author: Shaub, Nathan C. Increasing population and land use decisions have had a negative effect on the aquatic ecosystems in the Willamette River Basin. One result is elevated temperatures in many of the Basin’s streams, which adversely affect the fish that live in these streams. There are several regulatory mechanisms in place to improve water quality; however, recent attention has been focused on market-based pollution credit trading systems as an alternative approach. Clean Water Services, the public water utility in the Tualatin Watershed near Portland recently began the first program in the country to trade temperature pollution credits for creating shade. This project explores the distribution of high and low shade credit potential in the landscape around the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers using the peer reviewed WET_Temp stream temperature model. The intent of this project is to provide a tool for land use planners to explore the geographic characteristics of high incentive areas (high shade potential) and target these areas with shade credit programs. Also, this project explores the effects of management decisions on the changing shade credit incentive landscape. Close

• 54. [Article] Historical changes in stream habitats in the Columbia River basin

  Knowledge of how stream habitats change over time in natural and human-influenced ecosystems at large, regional scales is currently limited. A historical stream survey (1934-1945) was compared to current ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Historical changes in stream habitats in the Columbia River basin Author: McIntosh, Bruce A. Knowledge of how stream habitats change over time in natural and human-influenced ecosystems at large, regional scales is currently limited. A historical stream survey (1934-1945) was compared to current surveys to assess changes in poo1 habitats in the Columbia River basin. Streams from across the basin, representing a wide range of geologies, stream sizes and land-use histories, were used to evaluate habitat change. We classified streams as managed or unmanaged, based on their land-use histories. Managed basins were watersheds managed predominantly for multiple-use (e.g., timber harvest, livestock grazing) and unmanaged basins were minimally affected by human disturbance (e.g., wilderness/roadless areas). The quantity and quality of pool habitats increased or remained the same in unmanaged streams, and decreased in managed streams since the 1930s. Despite differences in stream size and land-use history, the magnitude and direction of theses changes were consistent. In addition, the decrease in pool habitats did not differ between public and private lands. Ecoregions were used to assess regional patterns to these changes. Our analysis showed that pool habitats decreased in all Ecoregions except the North Cascades Ecoregion. Regional land-use histories were documented for the study streams. The overgrazing of most rangelands had been documented by 1900. Grazing practices began to change after 1930, but current information suggests that while uplands have improved, riparian areas have not. By World War II, stream habitats had been affected by the loss of riparian vegetation, large woody debris, and aquatic habitats due to splash dams, log drives, and riparian timber harvest. Timber harvest expanded to the uplands after World War II, as the demand for timber expanded. Rapidly developing road networks increased runoff and sedimentation, which continued the impact of timber harvest on already damaged stream ecosystems. Almost 90% of managed streams had roads along the channel or within the floodplain. "Stream improvements," such as channelization and stream cleaning, also affected stream ecosystems. We concluded that the chronic and persistent effects of land-use practices had simplified stream channels and reduced habitat complexity in most managed watersheds in the Columbia River basin. Title: Historical changes in stream habitats in the Columbia River basin Author: McIntosh, Bruce A. Knowledge of how stream habitats change over time in natural and human-influenced ecosystems at large, regional scales is currently limited. A historical stream survey (1934-1945) was compared to current surveys to assess changes in poo1 habitats in the Columbia River basin. Streams from across the basin, representing a wide range of geologies, stream sizes and land-use histories, were used to evaluate habitat change. We classified streams as managed or unmanaged, based on their land-use histories. Managed basins were watersheds managed predominantly for multiple-use (e.g., timber harvest, livestock grazing) and unmanaged basins were minimally affected by human disturbance (e.g., wilderness/roadless areas). The quantity and quality of pool habitats increased or remained the same in unmanaged streams, and decreased in managed streams since the 1930s. Despite differences in stream size and land-use history, the magnitude and direction of theses changes were consistent. In addition, the decrease in pool habitats did not differ between public and private lands. Ecoregions were used to assess regional patterns to these changes. Our analysis showed that pool habitats decreased in all Ecoregions except the North Cascades Ecoregion. Regional land-use histories were documented for the study streams. The overgrazing of most rangelands had been documented by 1900. Grazing practices began to change after 1930, but current information suggests that while uplands have improved, riparian areas have not. By World War II, stream habitats had been affected by the loss of riparian vegetation, large woody debris, and aquatic habitats due to splash dams, log drives, and riparian timber harvest. Timber harvest expanded to the uplands after World War II, as the demand for timber expanded. Rapidly developing road networks increased runoff and sedimentation, which continued the impact of timber harvest on already damaged stream ecosystems. Almost 90% of managed streams had roads along the channel or within the floodplain. "Stream improvements," such as channelization and stream cleaning, also affected stream ecosystems. We concluded that the chronic and persistent effects of land-use practices had simplified stream channels and reduced habitat complexity in most managed watersheds in the Columbia River basin. Close

• 55. [Article] Watershed and climate influences on flood frequency distributions in the Willamette River basin

  Problem areas identified are: The needs a) to develop curve fitting procedures to estimate flood flow distributions; b) to incorporate precipitation data into frequency analysis procedures; and c) to better ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Watershed and climate influences on flood frequency distributions in the Willamette River basin Author: Tolle, Timothy Victor Problem areas identified are: The needs a) to develop curve fitting procedures to estimate flood flow distributions; b) to incorporate precipitation data into frequency analysis procedures; and c) to better define flood potentials for ungauged streams. Closely related to the above, it is noted that variables commonly used to estimate flood magnitudes usually do not serve as optimum predictors. Hydrophysical variables are shown to increase the ability to estimate flood magnitudes of all frequencies within the Willamette River basin of western Oregon. The major hypotheses tested show that the traditional "regionalization" procedure is not hydrologically sound. The objective herein is to regionalize flood distributions by basin parameters. These parameters include climatic variables that are hydrologically meaningful and easy to measure or estimate. Regression equations are developed to estimate the descriptive statistics of each stream's flood distribution. The mean of the logarithms of the annual peak flows describes numerically the position of a flood frequency curve. The standard deviation of the logarithms of the peak flows describes numerically the slope of the flood frequency curve assuming a log-normal or log Pearson type III distribution. Watershed relief is the strongest estimator of flood distributions for all but the low elevation streams (R² = 56%). Relief influences within-basin climatic variability. Large flood climatology differences yield desynchronized runoff from the various source areas. Only rarely do the different elevation areas synchronize and then they yield exceptionally large peak flows. Antecedent conditions are shown to be related to flood distributions. Those basins with large year-to-year differences in antecedent conditions have steeper flood frequency curves (R² = 76%). Precipitation zones, soil permeability, and forest cover all influence antecedent conditions. Drier basins with permeable soils and forest cover have steeper flood frequency curves. Lakes and ponds act as sinks on all peak flows, and streams which flow through them have less steep flood frequency curves. In combination with watershed relief and mean annual precipitation, these three variables explain 86% of the stream-to-stream differences in the slopes of flood frequency curves in the Willamette River basin. Drainage area, terrain roughness, forest cover, and precipitation explain over 95% of the stream-to-stream differences in average flood magnitudes. Steeper slopes yield larger flood peaks as does lesser forest cover. As elevation increases, average flood magnitudes decrease, but extreme peak flows are larger. Collectively these estimation equations reduce standard errors of 50-year floods from over 40% to less than 14%. They also reduce standard errors of ten-year and 25-year floods from 46% to 15%. Title: Watershed and climate influences on flood frequency distributions in the Willamette River basin Author: Tolle, Timothy Victor Problem areas identified are: The needs a) to develop curve fitting procedures to estimate flood flow distributions; b) to incorporate precipitation data into frequency analysis procedures; and c) to better define flood potentials for ungauged streams. Closely related to the above, it is noted that variables commonly used to estimate flood magnitudes usually do not serve as optimum predictors. Hydrophysical variables are shown to increase the ability to estimate flood magnitudes of all frequencies within the Willamette River basin of western Oregon. The major hypotheses tested show that the traditional "regionalization" procedure is not hydrologically sound. The objective herein is to regionalize flood distributions by basin parameters. These parameters include climatic variables that are hydrologically meaningful and easy to measure or estimate. Regression equations are developed to estimate the descriptive statistics of each stream's flood distribution. The mean of the logarithms of the annual peak flows describes numerically the position of a flood frequency curve. The standard deviation of the logarithms of the peak flows describes numerically the slope of the flood frequency curve assuming a log-normal or log Pearson type III distribution. Watershed relief is the strongest estimator of flood distributions for all but the low elevation streams (R² = 56%). Relief influences within-basin climatic variability. Large flood climatology differences yield desynchronized runoff from the various source areas. Only rarely do the different elevation areas synchronize and then they yield exceptionally large peak flows. Antecedent conditions are shown to be related to flood distributions. Those basins with large year-to-year differences in antecedent conditions have steeper flood frequency curves (R² = 76%). Precipitation zones, soil permeability, and forest cover all influence antecedent conditions. Drier basins with permeable soils and forest cover have steeper flood frequency curves. Lakes and ponds act as sinks on all peak flows, and streams which flow through them have less steep flood frequency curves. In combination with watershed relief and mean annual precipitation, these three variables explain 86% of the stream-to-stream differences in the slopes of flood frequency curves in the Willamette River basin. Drainage area, terrain roughness, forest cover, and precipitation explain over 95% of the stream-to-stream differences in average flood magnitudes. Steeper slopes yield larger flood peaks as does lesser forest cover. As elevation increases, average flood magnitudes decrease, but extreme peak flows are larger. Collectively these estimation equations reduce standard errors of 50-year floods from over 40% to less than 14%. They also reduce standard errors of ten-year and 25-year floods from 46% to 15%. Close

• 56. [Article] Linkages among land use, riparian zones, and uptake and transformation of nitrate in stream ecosystems

  Land use alters the physical and biological structure of stream ecosystems and potentially alters their capacity to process nitrogen (N), an essential nutrient that has nearly doubled in abundance on the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Linkages among land use, riparian zones, and uptake and transformation of nitrate in stream ecosystems Author: Sobota, Daniel J. Land use alters the physical and biological structure of stream ecosystems and potentially alters their capacity to process nitrogen (N), an essential nutrient that has nearly doubled in abundance on the biosphere during the past century from human activities. In this dissertation, I quantified uptake and transformation of nitrate (NO₃⁻) in small (≤ third-order) streams and related these dynamics to aquatic ecosystem processes, including primary production and organic matter decomposition, and attributes of riparian zone structure and vegetation composition. I also analyze patterns of stream NO₃⁻ processing among three classes of adjacent land use practices (forest, agriculture, and urban). In Chapter 2, ambient rates of NO₃⁻ uptake and transformation were measured with 24-hr releases of ¹⁵N-labeled NO₃⁻ in nine stream reaches in the Willamette River Basin of western Oregon during summer low flow (July – August). Three reaches each were surrounded by forested, agricultural or urban land use. After standardizing reaches to a 500-m length, I estimated that ≥ 20% of tracer ¹⁵NO₃⁻ was taken up by detrital and autotrophic biomass in eight of the reaches. In the remaining stream, which had the largest discharge (120 L s⁻¹) in this study, only 8% of the tracer was taken up in 500 m. Tracer labeling of detritus and autotrophic biomass and a positive correlation (rs=0.81) of uptake with gross primary production suggested that assimilation was the dominant uptake pathway in all streams. Denitrification, dissimilatory reduction of NO₃⁻ to N₂ and N₂O gases, composed 3 – 15% of ¹⁵N budgets over 500 m in two agricultural reaches and in one urban reach dominated by large slowly-turning over pools. However, denitrification was below detection limit at five of the remaining six reaches. This study showed that pathways of stream NO₃⁻ uptake and transformation differed among streams adjacent to three diverse land use practices. In Chapter 3, I quantified effects of substrate nutritional quality and inorganic N loading (as NO₃⁻) on wood breakdown in western Oregon streams. Short-term (< 2 month) breakdown rates of wood substrates of high nutritional quality (Alnus rubra; red alder) and low quality (Pseudotsuga menziesii; Douglas-fir) increased with dissolved inorganic N (11 to 111 mg N L⁻¹) across six streams (p = 0.04), but this relationship was confounded with concurrent increases in stream temperature. Across the six streams, breakdown rates of red alder were consistently double that of Douglas-fir. A longer-term study (313 d) in a coniferous forest Oregon Cascades stream suggested effects of increased NO₃⁻ availability on wood breakdown became evident after cellulose and lignin components of woody tissues began to decompose (> 4 months of incubation). Average breakdown rates substrates enriched with NO₃⁻ were higher than those incubated in low NO₃⁻ conditions, but this difference was not statistically significant. However, microbial biofilm respiration rates and activity of two enzymes involved in the breakdown of woody tissues (beta-glucosidase and phenol oxidase) on red alder had significantly greater responses to NO₃⁻ additions than on Douglas-fir after four months of incubation in the stream. Results suggest that increases in N loading to streams bordered by riparian forests with fast-growing deciduous species could increase wood breakdown rates. On the other hand, increases to N loading may have a smaller effect on wood breakdown in streams surrounded by long-lived coniferous species. In Chapter 4, I quantified patterns of stream channel and riparian zone attributes for 72 streams equally distributed among forests or grasslands, agriculture, and urban land use practices on from eight major North American regions. I also related these patterns to stream NO₃⁻ uptake determined from ¹⁵NO₃⁻ tracer releases. Agricultural and urban streams had a simplified channel structure (low width-to-depth ratio, low variation in stream depth, and high stream banks) relative to forest or grassland streams. Agricultural and urban streams also had a significantly smaller median sediment diameter (D₅₀) and fraction of benthic sediments composed by silt than in forest and grassland streams. Overstory canopy cover over the channel and in the riparian zone was lowest for agricultural streams but did not significantly differ between forest or grassland streams and urban streams. A multiple regression model showed that stream NO₃⁻ uptake decreased with increasing canopy cover, but also increased with abundance of silt in benthic sediments. This suggested NO₃⁻ uptake was strongly influenced by in-stream primary production and extent of anoxic environments (conducive for denitrification). A multiple regression model for fractional NO₃⁻ uptake by denitrification further supported the concept that extent of anoxic environments influenced overall NO₃⁻ uptake in streams. Through these studies, I demonstrated that attributes of riparian zone structure and vegetation composition can strongly influence NO₃⁻ uptake and transformation in stream ecosystems by controlling organic matter dynamics. I also have shown that riparian zone attributes vary significantly among three different land use types (forest or grassland, agriculture, and urban). Similarly, pathways of NO₃⁻ uptake and effects of NO₃⁻ on wood breakdown did or were expected to differ among different land use types / riparian zone characteristics. However, other factors besides riparian attributes, particularly level of nutrient loading, alteration of stream channel physical structure, and basin position of the stream, must be considered in concert when evaluating effects of land use on riparian zone and stream ecosystem structure and function. Title: Linkages among land use, riparian zones, and uptake and transformation of nitrate in stream ecosystems Author: Sobota, Daniel J. Land use alters the physical and biological structure of stream ecosystems and potentially alters their capacity to process nitrogen (N), an essential nutrient that has nearly doubled in abundance on the biosphere during the past century from human activities. In this dissertation, I quantified uptake and transformation of nitrate (NO₃⁻) in small (≤ third-order) streams and related these dynamics to aquatic ecosystem processes, including primary production and organic matter decomposition, and attributes of riparian zone structure and vegetation composition. I also analyze patterns of stream NO₃⁻ processing among three classes of adjacent land use practices (forest, agriculture, and urban). In Chapter 2, ambient rates of NO₃⁻ uptake and transformation were measured with 24-hr releases of ¹⁵N-labeled NO₃⁻ in nine stream reaches in the Willamette River Basin of western Oregon during summer low flow (July – August). Three reaches each were surrounded by forested, agricultural or urban land use. After standardizing reaches to a 500-m length, I estimated that ≥ 20% of tracer ¹⁵NO₃⁻ was taken up by detrital and autotrophic biomass in eight of the reaches. In the remaining stream, which had the largest discharge (120 L s⁻¹) in this study, only 8% of the tracer was taken up in 500 m. Tracer labeling of detritus and autotrophic biomass and a positive correlation (rs=0.81) of uptake with gross primary production suggested that assimilation was the dominant uptake pathway in all streams. Denitrification, dissimilatory reduction of NO₃⁻ to N₂ and N₂O gases, composed 3 – 15% of ¹⁵N budgets over 500 m in two agricultural reaches and in one urban reach dominated by large slowly-turning over pools. However, denitrification was below detection limit at five of the remaining six reaches. This study showed that pathways of stream NO₃⁻ uptake and transformation differed among streams adjacent to three diverse land use practices. In Chapter 3, I quantified effects of substrate nutritional quality and inorganic N loading (as NO₃⁻) on wood breakdown in western Oregon streams. Short-term (< 2 month) breakdown rates of wood substrates of high nutritional quality (Alnus rubra; red alder) and low quality (Pseudotsuga menziesii; Douglas-fir) increased with dissolved inorganic N (11 to 111 mg N L⁻¹) across six streams (p = 0.04), but this relationship was confounded with concurrent increases in stream temperature. Across the six streams, breakdown rates of red alder were consistently double that of Douglas-fir. A longer-term study (313 d) in a coniferous forest Oregon Cascades stream suggested effects of increased NO₃⁻ availability on wood breakdown became evident after cellulose and lignin components of woody tissues began to decompose (> 4 months of incubation). Average breakdown rates substrates enriched with NO₃⁻ were higher than those incubated in low NO₃⁻ conditions, but this difference was not statistically significant. However, microbial biofilm respiration rates and activity of two enzymes involved in the breakdown of woody tissues (beta-glucosidase and phenol oxidase) on red alder had significantly greater responses to NO₃⁻ additions than on Douglas-fir after four months of incubation in the stream. Results suggest that increases in N loading to streams bordered by riparian forests with fast-growing deciduous species could increase wood breakdown rates. On the other hand, increases to N loading may have a smaller effect on wood breakdown in streams surrounded by long-lived coniferous species. In Chapter 4, I quantified patterns of stream channel and riparian zone attributes for 72 streams equally distributed among forests or grasslands, agriculture, and urban land use practices on from eight major North American regions. I also related these patterns to stream NO₃⁻ uptake determined from ¹⁵NO₃⁻ tracer releases. Agricultural and urban streams had a simplified channel structure (low width-to-depth ratio, low variation in stream depth, and high stream banks) relative to forest or grassland streams. Agricultural and urban streams also had a significantly smaller median sediment diameter (D₅₀) and fraction of benthic sediments composed by silt than in forest and grassland streams. Overstory canopy cover over the channel and in the riparian zone was lowest for agricultural streams but did not significantly differ between forest or grassland streams and urban streams. A multiple regression model showed that stream NO₃⁻ uptake decreased with increasing canopy cover, but also increased with abundance of silt in benthic sediments. This suggested NO₃⁻ uptake was strongly influenced by in-stream primary production and extent of anoxic environments (conducive for denitrification). A multiple regression model for fractional NO₃⁻ uptake by denitrification further supported the concept that extent of anoxic environments influenced overall NO₃⁻ uptake in streams. Through these studies, I demonstrated that attributes of riparian zone structure and vegetation composition can strongly influence NO₃⁻ uptake and transformation in stream ecosystems by controlling organic matter dynamics. I also have shown that riparian zone attributes vary significantly among three different land use types (forest or grassland, agriculture, and urban). Similarly, pathways of NO₃⁻ uptake and effects of NO₃⁻ on wood breakdown did or were expected to differ among different land use types / riparian zone characteristics. However, other factors besides riparian attributes, particularly level of nutrient loading, alteration of stream channel physical structure, and basin position of the stream, must be considered in concert when evaluating effects of land use on riparian zone and stream ecosystem structure and function. Close

• 57. [Article] Statistical summaries of streamflow data in Oregon : Volume 2 Western Oregon

  Statistical summaries of streamflow data at 212 stream-gaging sites are presented in this report to aid in appraising the hydrology of river basins in Western Oregon. Records for 21 gaging stations were ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Statistical summaries of streamflow data in Oregon : Volume 2 Western Oregon Author: Oregon. Water Resources Dept., Miller, Suzanne J., Friday, John, Geological Survey (U.S.) Statistical summaries of streamflow data at 212 stream-gaging sites are presented in this report to aid in appraising the hydrology of river basins in Western Oregon. Records for 21 gaging stations were compiled into separate periods owing to changes in regulation during the period of data collection. The periods before and after regulation are presented for comparison. Title: Statistical summaries of streamflow data in Oregon : Volume 2 Western Oregon Author: Oregon. Water Resources Dept., Miller, Suzanne J., Friday, John, Geological Survey (U.S.) Statistical summaries of streamflow data at 212 stream-gaging sites are presented in this report to aid in appraising the hydrology of river basins in Western Oregon. Records for 21 gaging stations were compiled into separate periods owing to changes in regulation during the period of data collection. The periods before and after regulation are presented for comparison. Close

• 58. [Article] Patterns of water resource decision-making: minimum stream flows in the Willamette Basin

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Patterns of water resource decision-making: minimum stream flows in the Willamette Basin Author: Griffith, Glenn Edwin Title: Patterns of water resource decision-making: minimum stream flows in the Willamette Basin Author: Griffith, Glenn Edwin Close

• 59. [Article] Right as rain? The value of water in Willamette Valley agriculture

  Signs of climate change across the Pacific Northwest indicate changing patterns of timing and availability of stream flow. Declining summer low flows, decreasing snow pack, higher temperatures and an increasing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Right as rain? The value of water in Willamette Valley agriculture Author: Kalinin, Alexey V. Signs of climate change across the Pacific Northwest indicate changing patterns of timing and availability of stream flow. Declining summer low flows, decreasing snow pack, higher temperatures and an increasing fraction of mountain precipitation falling as rain, raise concerns about future reliability of stream flows. These changes will likely affect the agricultural economy and the balance between in stream and agricultural water uses, requiring a better understanding of how climatic factors and access to water affect farmers' livelihoods and the basin's economy. This study focuses on two economic questions about water and agriculture in the Willamette Valley. The first question asks: how sensitive is the value of water - as reflected in farmland rents - to variations in temperature, precipitation, soil quality and elevation? The results of a hedonic analysis provide insights into the potential effects of water scarcity that may result from climate change on economic returns to farmers. The second, related question seeks to understand the factors that affect farmers' decisions to exercise their water rights. Growers in the Willamette Valley do not always use their water rights, a surprising phenomenon compared to other farming regions in the western U.S. The analysis here estimates a logit model of farmers' field-level irrigation decisions. These decisions have quantitatively large implications for the consumptive use of water in the Basin overall. The relatively low estimated values for irrigation water rights (compared to other agricultural regions) reflect these patterns of intermittent use of those water rights. The comparison, however, between the per acre value of an irrigation water right and the incremental value of precipitation suggest that water has a similar value to farmers whether it comes as a right or as rain. Title: Right as rain? The value of water in Willamette Valley agriculture Author: Kalinin, Alexey V. Signs of climate change across the Pacific Northwest indicate changing patterns of timing and availability of stream flow. Declining summer low flows, decreasing snow pack, higher temperatures and an increasing fraction of mountain precipitation falling as rain, raise concerns about future reliability of stream flows. These changes will likely affect the agricultural economy and the balance between in stream and agricultural water uses, requiring a better understanding of how climatic factors and access to water affect farmers' livelihoods and the basin's economy. This study focuses on two economic questions about water and agriculture in the Willamette Valley. The first question asks: how sensitive is the value of water - as reflected in farmland rents - to variations in temperature, precipitation, soil quality and elevation? The results of a hedonic analysis provide insights into the potential effects of water scarcity that may result from climate change on economic returns to farmers. The second, related question seeks to understand the factors that affect farmers' decisions to exercise their water rights. Growers in the Willamette Valley do not always use their water rights, a surprising phenomenon compared to other farming regions in the western U.S. The analysis here estimates a logit model of farmers' field-level irrigation decisions. These decisions have quantitatively large implications for the consumptive use of water in the Basin overall. The relatively low estimated values for irrigation water rights (compared to other agricultural regions) reflect these patterns of intermittent use of those water rights. The comparison, however, between the per acre value of an irrigation water right and the incremental value of precipitation suggest that water has a similar value to farmers whether it comes as a right or as rain. Close

• 60. [Article] Irrigation decision survey data for the Willamette Water 2100 project

  [suggested citation: "Jaeger, William K. (2016): Irrigation decision survey data for the Willamette Water 2100 project. OSU Libraries. Dataset. http://dx.doi.org/10.7267/N9H12ZXK"]

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Irrigation decision survey data for the Willamette Water 2100 project Author: Jaeger, William K. [suggested citation: "Jaeger, William K. (2016): Irrigation decision survey data for the Willamette Water 2100 project. OSU Libraries. Dataset. http://dx.doi.org/10.7267/N9H12ZXK"] Title: Irrigation decision survey data for the Willamette Water 2100 project Author: Jaeger, William K. [suggested citation: "Jaeger, William K. (2016): Irrigation decision survey data for the Willamette Water 2100 project. OSU Libraries. Dataset. http://dx.doi.org/10.7267/N9H12ZXK"] Close