A new interagency report from Oregon has shown a drop in pesticide levels in a majority of watersheds across the state. Oregon’s Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (PSP) Program, an interagency water quality consortium, has released its 2017-19 biennial report that tested for 129 pesticide compounds including 57 herbicides, 40 insecticides, ten fungicides, and 16 pesticide concentrations.
Of more than 1,000 samples from watersheds considered at risk for pesticide contamination, 70% showed improvement compared to previous measurements. The report credits the water quality improvements to the PSP’s grant-making efforts to farmers and other local stakeholders aimed at limiting pesticide waste and runoff. In past two-year cycles, these efforts have focused on equipment upgrades but more recently focused on training.
To read the 2017-19 PSP biennial report, click here.
