Our farmers and ranchers in the Lower Umpqua Basin do a great job of protecting water quality. Many farmers and ranchers engage the use of livestock exclusion fencing, off-stream watering for livestock, heavy use areas, and some even implement riparian plan􀆟ngs to provide stream bank stability and shade to the streams and channels on their property.

We can always do more to reduce impacts to water quality. If you need guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact Umpqua Soil and Water Conservation District to find more ways you can protect water quality at your livestock operation. We provide technical assistance and grant writing for free to those within our District. We are also part of the Soil Health Network and can provide assistance on how to improve your soil in order to increase forage and crop productivity.

Umpqua SWCD is part of the Umpqua 7 Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Small Grant Team for Douglas County. In this capacity, we can help provide financial assistance to local farmers and ranchers if cost is an issue to implementing agriculture water quality best management practices. The OWEB Small Grant Program is competitive with a maximum award amount of $20,000 per project until the Small Grant Team funds are depleted for the two-year biennium.

Make sure to contact our office today by calling (541) 662-1341. Email works well, too! Our email address is rhonda@umpquasoilandwater.com , and we also have a useful website which can be easily found at
www.umpquasoilandwater.com .