7:00	Call for additional Agenda items
7:05	Reports from around the watershed
7:15	Steve Griffith, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Corvallis. Steve will discuss water quality issues related to grass seed production. Steve measured levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and diuron at two sites in creeks along cropped and non-cropped grass fields. Come hear his results.
7:45	Report from the Steering Committee (1/2 hour) - Speaker TBA
8:00	Other Agenda items
9:00	Adjourn

Last Months Meeting Highlights:

Robin Straughn of Benton SWCD would like to know what types of workshops or restoration projects council members would find interesting. Call Robin with suggestions at 541-967-5927.

Steering Committee Report: The committee suggested that a list of officers of the MRWC as well as members of the Steering Committee be posted in the MRWC meeting room. A list of all research being done in the watershed is being compiled. A good behavior statement was discussed but not adopted. The Steering Committee and council coordinator are developing a procedure for council-supported proposal development. In order to approve a proposal or not, the council will require several months lead time and a well developed proposal. Recommendations will be put before the council in May.

Tony Cheng mentioned:

1. Public funding sources for landowners lists programs for different actions;
2. a training workshop for teachers in July.

Mark Mellbeye (Linn Co. Extension) discussed grass seed farming and associated water quality problems due to pesticide use. He believes pesticides are needed because of disease and weed control. Mark mentioned specific studies by OSU and their results.

Some studies showed that

1. putting drainage tiles in fields can reduce erosion;
2. there are trace levels of herbicides in runoff;
3. no pesticides were detected in a well-survey near grass seed fields.

1. t is not true that 80% of pesticides come from agricultural lands;
2. In a well-managed field pesticides are not a problem;
3. There are traces of 45 types of pesticides (parts per trillion) in the Willamette River. The Extension Office is presently working with farmers to conduct field management trials using high levels of N fertilizers. Mark listed 7 conservation practices with might prevent runoff or leaching: l) tiling the fields; 2) Not having barren borders at field edges; 3) Best Management Practices (timing, rate of application); and 4) maintaining existing riparian vegetation, were specifically mentioned.

Val Gluchenko (OSU) dealt with a proposal she is seeking to submit to the "Rivers Network" through the MRWC. This $18K project would focus on migratory bird use of deciduous trees along streams. Riparian habitat is very important to migratory birds, but this habitat has been greatly reduced in the Willamette Valley, and 107 species are experiencing notable declines in abundance throughout the US. Hybrid poplars may be a cash crop alternative to ryegrass see in the Willamette Valley, and may be of interest to a number of landowners. Since these trees can produce a dense canopy in 3-4 years, she wonders if they would be useful in increasing bird habitat. Val's project has 3 objectives:

1. identify 5-8 locales with Oregon ash, cottonwood, and others with hybrid poplar, in similar stages of succession;
2. compare community composition and bird abundance among these; and
3. identify vegetative habitat features associated with bird abundance.