Pesticide Stewardship Partnership
The Clackamas River is the focus for the Clackamas Basin Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (Clackamas PSP)
The Clackamas Basin Pesticide Stewardship Partnership
(Clackamas PSP)
The Clackamas River provides drinking water for 300,000 people. It is also a fun place for people to play and a safe home for endangered fish to spawn, grow, and migrate. This river basin is the focus for the Clackamas Basin Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (Clackamas PSP). The Clackamas PSP program is a team effort where residents and local and state organizations work together to help protect the river and its streams. Local and state groups monitor the water, share helpful information, and teach landowners and farmers how to use pesticides more effectively and carefully, so fewer chemicals run off or drift into the water.
Fun Fact: In the Hood River, The Dalles, and Walla Walla watersheds, people worked together to lower the amount and number of harmful pesticides and herbicides in local streams by
90%
Why Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships?
For Oregon
- Healthy drinking waterÂ
- Clean rivers
- Native salmon Â
- Abundant wildlifeÂ
- Safe fish to eat
For Business
- Work better and faster
- Save money by wasting less
- Lower the chance of new rules, pollution clean-ups, and health problems
- Use solutions that fit the local community, not a one-size-fits-all solution
An Oregon-Grown Win-Win Strategy
Oregon’s Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships (PSPs) first started in the Hood River area. Currently there are nine partnerships across the state. Â
The partners include local landowners, farmers, watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, water providers, state agencies, Oregon State University, tribes, Oregon Environmental Council, and other nonprofit groups. Â
These partnerships provide technical resources and water testing and have resulted in water quality improvements and awareness of pesticide use and safety.
Voluntary Steps in a PSP
1
Test the Water
Test the water to find pesticides that could be a problem. These are called Pesticides of Concern—the ones that are close to unsafe levels or show up a lot in test samples. Â
2
Share Results
Share the water test results with people who care about keeping local streams and rivers clean. Â
3
Reduce Pesticides
Work with the people who use pesticides and the experts who provide assistance to find ways to reduce pesticide drift, runoff, and waste. The goal is to keep pesticides out of the water. Â
4
Continue Testing
Over time testing helps track pesticide levels to see if there are fewer harmful pesticides and to check if what producers are doing to reduce pesticides in water is working. Â
History of the Clackamas Pesticide Stewardship Partnership
Since 2000, scientists have found pesticides in streams that flow into the Clackamas River. Some of these pesticides are at levels that could harm fish and tiny water creatures. Since 2005, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has been checking the water for pesticides at several places in the lower Clackamas River area. These sites have changed over the years. Currently, the water testing sites are:
- Deep Creek NF at Mouth
- Noyer Creek—next sampling season, two sites will be tested on this creek
- Sieben Creek
- Clear Creek—Clear creek will be dropped in the next sampling season due to lack of pesticide detections
- Rock Creek
Pesticides of Concern
The pesticides found most often, or at the highest levels, in the Clackamas Basin include:
- simazine: Princep
- chlorpyrifos: Yuma and Lorsban Advanced
- bifenthrin: Capture 2EC, Brigade 2EC, Brigade WSB, Wisdom
- diuron: Karmex, Direx
- oxyfluorfen: Goal 2XL, Goal Tender
- chlorothaloni: Bravo Weather Stik, Chloronil 720
- dichlobenil: Casoron
Water Testing Results
In a 2019-2021 Biennium Report from the State Pesticide Stewardship Partnership Program, water testing results in the Clackamas River basin show:Â
The number of pesticides found in the water went down by one-third from 2020 to 2021.
It dropped from 274 detections to 181 detections.
One pesticide called imidacloprid has been found less and less every year since 2018 when it showed up in almost 30% of the water samples. By 2021, it was not found at all.
The highest amount of imidacloprid in the water also went down. In 2018, it was 30 times higher than the aquatic life benchmark, but in 2021, it could not even be measured. An aquatic life benchmark is the highest amount of a chemical, like a pesticide, that is safe for fish, insects, and other animals that live in the water. If there is more of the chemical than the benchmark, it could hurt the animals or make it hard for them to survive.
In 2021 only one pesticide ws found at a level above the aquatic life benchmark, compared to five in 2020.
In 2020, five pesticides were found at levels above the aquatic life benchmark. These were chlorpyrifos, diuron, bifenthrin, imidacloprid, and acephate. In 2021, only one pesticide —chlorpyrifos —was found at a level above the aquatic life benchmark.
What about folks outside of the Clackamas River Watershed?
Clackamas County producers outside of the Clackamas River Watershed may take advantage of District programs and educational events.
Our activities include:
Pesticide Collection Events
Since 2007, the District has worked with many groups to offer free events where producers can safely get rid of old or unwanted pesticides. Some groups we work with are Clackamas River Water Providers, Clackamas River Basin Council, Pudding River Watershed Council, Oregon Department of Agriculture, and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
Pesticides have been collected and disposed of properly. To date, we have removed
87.35 tons
of pesticides from our watersheds.
Windsock Program
Farmers in Clackamas County can receive a free windsock to help them spray pesticides safely. The windsock is calibrated to show how fast the wind is blowing and which way it is going. This helps avoid pesticide drift. Pesticide drift means pesticides blowing into places where they are not supposed to go.
Wind drift is a common form of pesticide drift. However, there are other weather conditions that cause pesticide drift.
Clackamas producers, contact us if you are interested in using a calibrated windsock!
Sprayer Efficiency Program
This program offers cost-share to producers in Clackamas County to replace parts on their spray equipment. The goal is to make the sprayers more efficient. A more efficient sprayer uses less pesticide and provides better coverage so the reason for using the product is more successful. Using less pesticide helps keep nearby rivers and streams cleaner, which is better for people, fish, and animals.
Funding for this program comes from both the District and our partner, Clackamas River Water Providers. Â
Clackamas County producers should contact us if you are interested in participating in this program.
Did you know?
The Label is the Law
The labels on all herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and rodenticides do not just give information — they are also legal rules. They explain the right and safe way to use the pesticide, and you have to follow them by law. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Pesticide Division is the regulator for pesticide and fertilizer use in Oregon.
We are here for YOU!
Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District
