Upcoming workshops
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's Drinking Water Protection team is currently planning the next workshop. More information will be released in January 2025.
DEQ and local partners will be hosting a series of partial-day workshops on source water protection for coastal communities. The intent of these workshops is to provide resources to identify land conservation and acquisition tools and potential funding sources which can be used to keep drinking water clean, reliable, and safe while also providing economic benefits to your community. Join your fellow drinking water providers, local government officials, conservation practitioners, land managers, and funding partners to share successes and challenges, access resources, and talk to partners about source water protection efforts.
Previous workshop materials
See the table below for past presentations organized by topic, including land conservation, forestry, wildfire, cyanobacteria blooms, emergency response, community partnerships, funding, and data management. Some presentations in the table below have been recorded as part of the Coastal Source Water Protection Workshop series. Visit the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County's video playlist to access these recordings.
If you are looking for agendas or workshop-related materials not provided below, contact the Drinking Water Program: drinkingwater.protection@deq.oregon.gov.
Land conservation
Land conservation is the practice of purchasing land to steward, preserve, and protect its ecological health, biodiversity, and safeguard natural resources for current and future generations. Land conservation plays a crucial role in source water protection by maintaining or improving the quality and quantity of drinking water sources including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and aquifers.
Forestry
Forestry and drinking water are closely connected as forests play a crucial role in maintaining water quality and quantity of freshwater sources. Forests act as natural watersheds by regulating the flow of water, providing natural filtration, moderating water temperatures through shaded protection, increasing slope stability through their root structures, and supporting aquifer replenishment for groundwater systems.
Wildfire
Wildfires can significantly impact public water systems in both the short and long term, especially in areas where water sources such as rivers, lakes, wells, and springs are closely linked to surrounding landscapes. When wildfires occur, the physical and chemical changes to watersheds, streams, and groundwater systems can directly affect water quality, availability, and safety.
Cyanobacteria blooms
Cyanobacteria are aquatic bacteria common in freshwater, estuarine, and marine waters that can use direct sunlight to produce food (photosynthesis). These organisms are among the oldest life forms on Earth and largely responsible for creating our oxygen-rich atmosphere. Cyanobacteria blooms occur when certain types of cyanobacteria grow excessively due to favorable conditions, including warm temperatures, stagnant water, or overly abundant nutrients. When blooms occur, cyanobacteria can produce cyanotoxins. At certain levels, these toxins can pose significant risks to humans, pets, and livestock. Cyanobacteria blooms can also affect water quality by increasing pH and depressing dissolve oxygen levels, negatively impacting fish and aquatic life.
Emergency response
Public water systems need to be prepared to take coordinated action in the event of a crisis that can impact drinking water sources. Such emergencies include earthquakes, extreme weather events, wildfires, cyanobacteria blooms, and environmental contamination. Public water systems can prepare for an emergency by performing a risk and resiliency assessment and developing an emergency response plan.
Community partnerships
When a public water system embarks on a source water protection project, forming community partnerships is a crucial strategy to ensure the project's success. Collaboration with local organizations such as watershed councils, land trusts, soil and water conservation districts, and other local governments helps leverage diverse expertise, resources, and public support, all of which are vital to the long-term effectiveness of source water protection efforts.
Funding
Access to funding resources is essential for public water systems to successfully implement source water protection projects. There are numerous funding sources available to public water systems from federal, state, and nonprofit organizations. Funding is available for planning source water protection projects, land acquisition and purchase, and stewardship. For more information, check out our Funding for Public Water Systems page.
Data management
Public water systems can utilize data management tools like Geographic Information Systems, also known as GIS, to analyze and manage spatial data to make informed decisions about source water protection. There are several types of data that a public water system can access using their source water assessment including drinking water source areas, land ownership and use, slope stability, potential contamination sources, and more.