Water
Management Projects
Steering Committee
Mitigation Strategy for the Upper Deschutes Basin of Oregon
NEWTON committed time and resources to serve as a participant, providing
assistance to the Deschutes Groundwater Steering Committee in developing
a Mitigation Strategy for the middle Deschutes Basin. The purpose of the
Strategy is to allow future groundwater permits for the growing region
where potential effects of groundwater pumping are offset by mitigation
projects approved by the Oregon Water Resources Department. David Newton
made presentations to the committee on basin hydrogeology and was a work
group leader assigned to evaluate mitigation opportunities and feasibility
by use of basin infrastructure (i.e., irrigation districts, canal lining-piping,
etc.).
Deschutes Groundwater Steering
Committee
Mitigation Alternatives for Water Supply Development,
Upper Deschutes River Basin Oregon
Based on NEWTON’S work with the Committee, the Committee retained
NEWTON on a consulting basis to conduct a more in-depth evaluation of
middle Deschutes basin infrastructure alternatives for mitigation purposes.
NEWTON conducted the evaluation and prepared the report “Evaluation
of Infrastructure Alternatives in the Middle Deschutes Basin for Mitigation
of Potential Groundwater Withdrawal Effects on the Deschutes River”,
dated August 21, 2000.
Marion County
Water Resources Management Plan for Marion County
NEWTON helped Marion County prepare a water resources management plan
to address long-term water supply and water quality concerns. Groundwater
and surface water availability/demand were evaluated in the Upper Santiam,
Lower Santiam, Pudding River and Willamette River watershed areas. Municipal
and septic waste disposal, in-stream water rights, recreational needs
and environmental concerns were also addressed. NEWTON’s work also
included presentations, discussions and coordination with the Marion County
Water Resources Management Council, and formulation of draft water policies
for the comprehensive land use plan.
Grants Pass, Oregon
Josephine County Water Resources Dept. - Groundwater Management Program
NEWTON assisted the County and the City of Grants Pass with developing
a groundwater management program. The agencies were concerned about water
availability and the impacts of rapid growth and development on existing
resources. Specific concerns included overuse of limited groundwater resources;
the potential for septic systems to contaminate groundwater; and prioritizing
City sewer service to urbanizing areas. The program was developed with
input from the Oregon Department of Water Resources (OWRD).
Grants Pass, Oregon
Josephine County Water Resources Department
Water Resources Management Plan Work Program
The County Water Resources and Planning Departments needed a water resources
management plan to provide a mechanism for responding to a number of local
water issues. These issues related to conflicts between land use and water
availability, water-quality impacts of mining and septic waste disposal,
well interference, water shortages, damsite protection and ten other specific
issues. NEWTON developed a Work Program for the County that assigned levels
of concern so the issues could be ranked according to priority; prepared
questions to answer for each issue to better define the concerns; determined
parameters and data necessary to answer the questions; and provided guidelines
for County staff to use in developing a Water Resources Management Plan
on a continuing basis. In addition, a data management program was prepared
that summarized existing information, determined the adequacy of the data
to resolve water issue questions, identified additional data collection
needs, and recommended a computer database system to use in monitoring
and management decision-making.
Fairview, Oregon
Fairview Lake Outlet Works
Newton assisted the City of Fairview and the Multnomah County Drainage
District No.1 to modernize the outlet control stop works for Fairview
Lake with new slide gates. The existing outlet control stop logs were
insufficient and proved difficult to raise and lower manually and the
existing concrete housing was also eroding form time and the elements.
The new outlet structured was widened to more than double its original
width of 20 feet. The stop logs were replaced with 4 new modern slide
gates. Each gate has the capability of being raised and lower by means
of a control wheel which greatly increased the control of the amount of
water that can be released form the lake. Some of the issues in constructing
the new outlet structure was that a majority of the construction needed
to take place next to and beneath and existing bridge with very little
head clearance. Also the existing water level of the lake need to be maintained.
This meant using an inflatable coffer dam and adding drainage pipes to
handle the outlet water flow
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