Pesticide Stewardship Partnership

About the Pesticide Stewardship Program

The Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (PSP) Program is a voluntary program that relies on local partnerships to monitor pesticide levels in waterways and enact solutions to protect water quality while managing pests and maintaining crop yield. Local efforts include implementing projects based on technical assistance, outreach, and education. The PSP works as a feedback loop with the water quality sampling data continuously being used to evaluate pesticides of concern, the effectiveness of education and collaborative projects on an annual basis.

The multi-agency PSP is an alternative to traditional regulatory approaches (i.e., pollution budgets or Total Maximum Daily Loads) under the Clean Water Act. This is why many pesticide users support the PSP Program; it allows an opportunity for voluntary behavior change prior to regulatory action by DEQ.

There are currently nine PSP areas across the state that cover a range of land use and partner groups. The goals of the PSP program are to:

• Identify potential concerns and improve water quality affected by pesticide use around Oregon.
• Combine local expertise and water quality sampling results to encourage voluntary changes in pesticide use and management practices
• Find ways to reduce pesticide levels while measuring improvements in water quality and crop management.
• Work toward measurable environmental improvements, making Oregon waters safer for aquatic life and humans.

Each year, ODA reviews the water quality data with other agencies and our local partners to look for improvements in water quality. A comprehensive list of program successes can be found in the biennial report.

In the Yamhill PSP basin, the total number of pesticide detections decreased from 751 in 2019 to 231 in 2021, a decrease of 69 percent. Similarly, the total number of exceedances decreased from 72 in 2019 to 46 in 2020 and, in 2021, there were only 16 exceedances of a water quality criterion or ALB.

In 2021 in the Clackamas PSP basin, only one analyte, chlorpyrifos, exceeded the water quality criteria/aquatic life benchmark values. In 2020 five analytes were detected at concentrations exceeding their water quality criteria or aquatic life benchmarks (chlorpyrifos, diuron, bifenthrin, imidacloprid, and acephate).

Who manages the PSP?

ODA is the state lead for the PSP program. ODA created an interagency team, the Water Quality Pesticide Management Team (WQPMT), composed of representatives from multiple state agencies has been formed to efficiently address the protection of waters of the state from pesticide contamination.

Meeting information

The WQPMT meets virtually on the third Thursday every other month. Meeting agendas and minutes are posted below.

Feedback from the public

The PSP Advisory Group (AG) represents a wide range of community groups interested in pesticide use and environmental topics. The AG was created to provide suggestions to the WQPMT on issues related to the administration of the Pesticide Stewardship Partnership.

Meeting information

• DEQ's Statewide Water Quality Toxics Monitoring Program
  Water quality toxics monitoring information
  
• EPA aquatic life benchmarks
  Aquatic Life Benchmarks for Pesticides Monitored in Oregon
• EPA human health benchmarks for pesticides
  
• National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
  NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions about pesticides and their use. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Oregon State University's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center