Farmers, land owners attend sessions on water quality

Whitman County farmers and landowners are taking proactive approaches to manage water quality.

Two recent workshops, one in LaCrosse and one in Pullman, were in response to Department of Ecology meetings, letters and visits on land last spring.

The first workshop, organized by Dennis and Jan Moore of Hay, was Dec. 5. Presentations included Steve Van Vleet, WSU Extension Agent, and Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers.

Van Vleet said he emphasized landowners and producers having documentation of conservation practices, water quality and health of livestock.

“Producers must be proactive about developing a plan,” Van Vleet said.

He said landowners must take many photos throughout the year to document water quality.

“Our landowners, farmers and ranchers are a concerned group of people who take care of the land,” Myers said. “They are good stewards of the land.”

“If you see someone on your land, you have the right to contact them and ask them what they are doing,” he said.

Any government agency shouldn’t be on private property, Myers said.

Any citizens has the right to ask what they’re doing. Myers also said to ask for identification and write down the license plate number of the vehicle. Contact the sheriff’s office to report the incident.

Al Bruns, who runs about 100 head of black Angus cattle on land along the South Palouse River close to Colfax, attended the workshop. He said he is taking a proactive approach to water quality issues.

He said he and his wife Ruth are gathering scientific data on water as it enters his property and as it leaves. He hired an independent person to test the water once a month, or more often it he believes the water should be tested.

The samples are tested in a lab in Moses Lake.

“I’m not going to pollute the river,” he said.

He said this is in preparation in case DOE questions his water quality practices.

He also said the workshop helped him know that he is on the right track, enforcing the notion that keeping good records and taking photos are practices.

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” he said.

He said he appreciates Van Vleet, the Moores and the sheriff for providing information.

“I hope they continue with the workshops and I wish the younger guys would get involved,” Bruns said.

He said because of strict regulations, he bought some range ground in Idaho for pasture.

The second workshop Dec. 11, was organized by the conservation districts in Whitman and Spokane counties.

According to Whitman County Conservation District President David Lange, the topic of interest was riparian management and moderated by Ray Ledgerwood.

About 45 landowners, producers and ranchers attended the meeting at SEL in Pullman.

An example of a water quality issue was explained and then the positive and negative points were discussed. These points led to small group discussions that initiated some interesting comments, according to Lange.

• Soil and nutrient conservation works, but frustration was expressed in the inability of producers to clean and maintain ditches.

• Monitoring and water testing is encouraged to provide information to the grower about whether a problem actually exists.

• The programs that encourage soil, nutrient and riparian management often have stumbling blocks to participation.

Lange said many more good points were brought to light and plans were made to continue with grower communication. He also said growers and landowners who are interested in this type of participation can contact their local conservation districts.