Wallowa County - Information for Partners and Participants

Wallowa County is located in the northeast corner of Oregon. The county includes 3,153 square miles of topographic and biological diversity including North America’s deepest gorge, Hells Canyon, and the Wallowa Mountains, with peaks exceeding 10,000 feet. Privately-owned land includes 47,000 acres of cropland, 491,000 acres of rangeland and 276,000 acres of forest. Sixty-five percent of the county is publicly owned. The NRCS office is located in Enterprise. The NRCS staff provides technical assistance and administers NRCS financial assistance conservation programs.

NRCS Local Conservation Activities and Strategies

The NRCS in Wallowa County works voluntarily with private land owners and cooperatively with partners to strategically address priority natural resource concerns.

The current priority practices and resource concerns include:

• Irrigation water management and system improvements in the Prairie Creek watershed to address resource concerns; primarily inefficient use of Irrigation water, water quality, energy consumption, and low stream flows.
• Riparian Health/water quality; treatment includes off-stream water developments, fencing, grass and tree/shrub plantings.

Existing and emerging natural resource concerns include:

• Invasive noxious weeds and juniper encroachment on rangelands.
• Upland wildlife habitat management
• Forest health issues including stand density, disease and species composition

Conservation Implementation Strategy

NRCS Programs Available

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP):
  • Assistance may be available for irrigation improvements for targeted watersheds in the county.
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP):
  • Assistance may be available for conservation stewardship and additional enhancements.
• Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI):
  • Assistance may be available for conservation measures to improve efficiency and management of irrigation systems in the Prairie Creek Watershed through sponsorship by the Wallowa Soil and Water Conservation District.

Additional Conservation Resources Available

The NRCS works cooperatively with a variety of partners including:

• Wallowa Soil and Water Conservation District
• Farm Service Agency
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Oregon Department of Agriculture
• Oregon Department of Forestry
• Grande Ronde Model Watershed
• Oregon State University Extension
• Nez Perce Tribe
• Wallowa Resources
   

Local Work Group Updates

The Wallowa County Local Work Group meets to discuss natural resource priorities and provide input to NRCS on conservation programs.  If you are interested in participating, please contact the NRCS District Conservationist listed below.

For meeting information, please click here.

Success Stories

	CCPI Conservation Program Cuts Need for Water and Power Larry McFetridge starts his pump with the flip of a small silver switch. According to Tom Smith, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist, “Larry used to run two 75 hp pumps. With the installation of the Prairie Creek Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) project through NRCS, Larry only needs two 40 hp pumps, so he’s using significantly less energy. That is a significant reduction in his annual pumping costs.” More (HTML)... Download a printable copy (PDF 1.14MB) Key Words: CCPI, water management, energy management, Snake River Basin
	Enterprise Ranchers Create a Legacy of Conservation Dan Gover tips one of the 100 hats he has in his colorful collection, and motors an ATV out to the timothy hay field and new pumping station with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist, Tom Smith. The relationship between Dan and NRCS staff has stood the test of time. Dan and the agency have worked together for decades to create a legacy of conservation that has improved soil and water health on his scenic ranch at the foot of the majestic Wallowa Mountains. More (HTML)... Download a printable copy (PDF 1.11MB) Key Words: CCPI, water management, Snake River Basin
	Grassroots Idea Becomes Conservation Reality Merlie McFetridge serves lunch to her family and farmhands at the stroke of noon every day. “If you’re late, you may not eat,” says her son Jay who manages the farm for the family. Everyone gathers ‘round the large table in the sunny dining room for a substantial meal to fuel an afternoon of strenuous work in the fields. After his dessert of chocolate cake and ice cream, Jay pushes back from the table and returns to putting up hay. The crew follows. The tradition of farm life for the McFetridge family is as strong as their legacy of conservation. More (HTML)... Download a printable copy (PDF 1.41MB) Key Words: CCPI, water management, Snake River Basin

Clickable Map of SNOTEL Sites

• Middle Snake - Powder Basin
• Lower Snake Basin

For Additional Assistance Contact

Enterprise Service Center
401 NE First Street, suite F
Enterprise, OR 97828-3042

NRCS District Conservationist, Nate James: (541) 426-4521 ext 101 nathan.james@or.usda.gov
Wallowa SWCD: (541) 426-4588 Ext. 4