United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1998-07-29 monographic deposited born digital 73 p. GA 1.13:RCED-98-220 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-220 P0b002ee1803759cb f:rc98220 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-220 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-220 RCED-98-220 Potable water Water pollution control Water quality Environmental monitoring Soil conservation Forest management Interagency relations Environmental policies Storms Oregon Dept. of the Interior Automated Land Management System Salem (OR) Portland (OR) Eugene (OR) Cottage Grove (OR) Sandy (OR) Pacific Northwest Forest Plan Chapter Report RCED Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on five municipal watersheds in Oregon and the activities that contribute to increased turbidity during large storms, focusing on the: (1) human activities that may have contributed to the high turbidity levels in western Oregon's municipal watersheds in February 1996; and (2) efforts under way by federal, state, local, and private land managers and owners, as well as the affected cities, to ensure safe drinking water during future storms.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) human activities--timber harvests and related roads as well as agricultural, industrial, urban, and residential development--can contribute to elevated sediment levels during large storms; (2) these activities result in soil that is compacted, paved, covered, or cleared of most vegetation; (3) rain falling on compacted or cleared soil can run off into streams, carrying with it eroded topsoil; (4) in addition, rain falling on roofs, paved roads and parking lots, and other covered surfaces does not penetrate into the ground, thereby increasing the runoff that moves across barren or disturbed soil and eroding topsoil; (5) this sediment can then be transported into streams; (6) the sediment from human activities in a municipal watershed, combined with the accelerated erosion that naturally occurs during storms, can shut down a municipality's water treatment system, as occurred in Salem in February 1996; (7) ongoing federal and nonfederal efforts have made significant progress in: (a) mitigating the impact of human activities on water quality and ensuring safe drinking water to cities in the Willamette and Lower Columbia river basins; and (b) involving more key landowners and other stakeholders in discussing, understanding, and addressing watershed issues and concerns and in implementing restoration plans; and (8) nevertheless, some key landowners have not been included in coordination efforts, and many efforts could benefit from a better understanding of, and data on, the condition of the watersheds. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-220/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-220.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-220/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-220.pdf GAO/RCED-98-220 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-98-220 Chapter Report GAO/RCED-98-220; Oregon Watersheds: Many Activities Contribute to Increased Turbidity During Large Storms; Potable water Water pollution control Water quality Environmental monitoring Soil conservation Forest management Interagency relations Environmental policies Storms Oregon Dept. of the Interior Automated Land Management System Salem (OR) Portland (OR) Eugene (OR) Cottage Grove (OR) Sandy (OR) Pacific Northwest Forest Plan Volume 33 Page 526 33 Stat. 526 Volume 110 Page 3009-541 110 Stat. 3009-541 Public Law 95-200 Public Law 104-208