Highlights

State of Oregon
National Resources Inventory (NRI) Results
(Revised December 2000)
 

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Surface Area

In 1997, the total surface area of Oregon was estimated to be 62,161,000 acres.

* Urban lands and rural transportation lands

Land Use on Non-Federal Lands and Water

In 1997, non-federal land and water in the state amounted to an estimated 30,900,600 acres.

*Farmsteads, farm structures, field windbreaks, barren land, and marshland

Soil Erosion by Water is Reduced

Rates of soil erosion by water (sheet and rill erosion) on Oregon’s cultivated croplands have steadily decreased from an estimated 4.6 tons/acre/year in 1982 to 3.0 tons/acre/year in 1997.

Total tons of soil lost to sheet and rill erosion in Oregon decreased from nearly 18 million tons/year in 1982 to about 9.7 million tons/year in 1997 on all cropland, pastureland, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land.

Erosion reduction on CRP lands accounted for 37% of the erosion reduction from sheet and rill sources between 1982 and 1997.

Reduction in Cropland Acres

From 1982 to 1997, cropland in Oregon declined an estimated 594,900 acres (14%), from about 4.4 million acres to about 3.8 million acres.

Most of this decline was due to the fact that approximately one half million acres of highly erodible and environmentally sensitive cropland was enrolled in the voluntary Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by Oregon farmers.

In addition, an estimated 63,000 acres of croplands were converted to urban lands from 1982 to 1997.

Increase of Urban Lands Between 1982 and 1997

The largest increase in acreage on non-federal lands was for urban lands, which grew from an estimated 585,000 acres in 1982 to about 845,000 acres in 1997. This is a 44% increase.

Conversion of Agricultural and Forest Lands to Urban Lands

The growth of urban lands in Oregon from 1982 to 1997 came primarily from the conversion of natural resource lands.

In Oregon, from 1982 to 1997, there was an estimated total of 249,800 acres converted from the rural land base to urban uses.

The estimated annual rate of conversion of these lands increased from 15,550 acres per year between 1982 and 1992 to 18,860 acres per year from 1992 to 1997. This is an increase of 21%.

Irrigation

About 2.5 million acres of non-federal land was irrigated in Oregon in 1997.

In 1997, irrigated lands included 31% of cultivated cropland, 78% of non-cultivated cropland, and 40% of pastureland.

Prime Farmland Soils

Total Prime Farmland Soils in Oregon were estimated at 3.5 million acres in 1997.

Between 1982 and 1997, an estimated 85,000 acres of prime farmland soils on natural resource lands were converted to urban lands.

To see all results, select Geographic Area.

ESTIMATES FROM THE 1997 NRI DATABASE (REVISED DECEMBER 2000) REPLACE ALL PREVIOUS REPORTS AND ESTIMATES. Comparisons made using data published for the 1982, 1987, or 1992 NRI may produce erroneous results. This is due to changes in statistical estimation protocols, and because all data collected prior to 1997 were simultaneously reviewed (edited) as 1997 NRI data were collected. All definitions are available in the glossary. In addition, this December 2000 revision of the 1997 NRI data updates information released in December 1999 and corrects a computer error discovered in March 2000.

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Last Modification: Wednesday, May 28, 2003

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