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 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

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Southern Willamette Valley Groundwater Management Area

The Southern Willamette Valley is one of Oregon’s fastest growing regions and depends heavily on groundwater for both private and public drinking water, irrigation water, and other uses. The Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) is the result of many years of studies and analyses of the shallow groundwater in the lowlands of the Southern Willamette Valley. Studies beginning in the 1990s show that shallow groundwater contains nitrate above levels that are a concern.

On May 10, 2004, following a public comment period on the final Southern Willamette Valley groundwater report and proposal for declaring a Groundwater Management Area, DEQ director Stephanie Hallock signed the official Declaration, creating the Southern Willamette Valley Groundwater Management Area. By declaring a Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) for portions of the Southern Willamette Valley, DEQ, Department of Agriculture, Water Resource Department, Department of Human Services and other state agencies are required to focus efforts on the development of an Action Plan to restore the groundwater quality.		 Southern Willamette GWMA
   

 Proposed Action Plan

 Reports
[print version]

For more information about the Southern Willamette Valley Groundwater Management Area or to order CDs of the reports, contact Audrey Eldridge by phone at (541) 776-6010 x 223 or toll-free at (877) 823-3216 x 223 or by e-mail.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Headquarters: 811 SW Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97204-1390
Phone: 503-229-5696 or toll free in Oregon 1-800-452-4011
Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service: 1-800-735-2900  FAX: 503-229-6124

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is a regulatory agency authorized to protect Oregon's environment by
the State of Oregon and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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