USDA Report on Water and Related Land Resources, Powder Drainage Basin, Oregon

Excerpts from the report: The Powder Drainage Basin is located in northeastern Oregon. It is bounded by the Grande Ronde River Basin on the north, by the John Day River Basin on the west, by the Malheur River Basin on the south, and by the Snake River on the east. The basin has a total area of 2,073,700 acres--about 3.4 percent of Oregon. It contains almost all of Baker County, about 1.3 percent of Union County, and minor portions of Wallowa and Malheur Counties. Two major stream systems and two minor streams comprise the drainage system; these are the Powder and Burnt Rivers and the Pine and Benson Creeks. For the purpose of this report, the Powder Drainage Basin has been divided into sixteen watersheds. These watersheds vary in size from 15,900 acres to 220,700 acres. The use of land in the basin is influenced by the ownership. Half of the land is federally owned, 2 percent is owned by state, county, and municipal governments, and 48 percent is privately owned. About 37 percent of the basin, mainly in the western and northern parts of the basin at higher elevations, is forested land. Almost half of the basin is rangeland with the central, southern, and eastern parts being predominantly rangeland. About 60 percent of the rangeland is privately owned, and 33 percent is in public domain which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Less than 10 percent of the basin area is cropland in private ownership. This report presents information concerning the water and related land resources of the Powder Drainage Basin. Its purpose is (1) to provide information on the past and present uses of water and related land resources; (2) to supply the production data from the use of these resources; (3) to assess the magnitude of water-related problems such as erosion, flooding, and drainage; (4) to indicate the probable direction of future use of water and land for agriculture and forestry in comparison to competing uses; and (5) to outline a general program for water and land resource management as a background for future detailed study and planning.