Water Resources

Camp Creek in the BLM Prineville District. Photo by Hugh Barrett, BLM.

The water program emphasizes collaborative efforts to ensure that BLM activities comply with the Clean Water Act.

The BLM with the USDA Forest Service has renewed its working agreement with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to more effectively address water quality protection and restoration efforts on BLM lands.

The water program is engaged in a number of water rights actions that range from instream rights, public reserve water rights, and maintaining instream flows for wild and scenic waterways.

The riparian program emphasizes restoration and works both on a cost share basis and through BLM programs to develop riparian exclosures, decommission roads, modify and replace culverts, conduct invasive species surveys and riparian surveys, and undertake a number of restorative treatments in order to benefit riparian function.

The Oregon Cadre of the National Riparian Service Team (NRST) delivers training in proper functioning condition to local landowners interested in restoring riparian function on private lands. Through implementation of the Creeks and Communities national strategy the NRST reaches hundreds of landowners on an annual basis with the message of shared responsibility for stewardship.