Flowing Forward: Water Infrastructure Projects Making Progress in the Lower Umatilla Basin

Our blog series Flowing Forward aims to provide a closer and more digestible look, along with expert commentary, on specific areas of progress being made throughout the Basin. Simply put, we are highlighting ongoing progress because this is a story that deserves to be told.

There are multiple city and county-level efforts related to water infrastructure improvements taking place in the Lower Umatilla Basin. All of these efforts are important to water quality, water quantity, and public health. In the latest edition of our Flowing Forward series, we identify each of these efforts and provide a brief summary of the work being performed. Please be aware, these are my interpretations of each effort. For official descriptions of the work, please contact the agency or counties directly.

Morrow and Umatilla Drinking Water Roadmap

The Drinking Water Roadmap is a Morrow and Umatilla County effort to identify potential options for long-term solutions to provide safe and sustainable drinking water to well users who may be affected by high nitrate levels in groundwater. The committee works to identify areas of high nitrate pollution and potential solutions. It is up to other entities to implement those solutions, such as the Clean Water Consortium. Learn more

Morrow County Clean Water Consortium

The Clean Water Consortium is a Morrow County effort to implement solutions for well users impacted by high nitrates. The Consortium’s initial work is focused on expanding drinking water infrastructure into the West Glen neighborhood. The West Glen neighborhood was identified by the Drinking Water Roadmap Steering Committee as an area impacted by high nitrates and, with a readily implementable solution, an opportunity for expanding drinking water infrastructure. The Consortium has also begun conversations regarding solutions for other areas of the Basin where expansion of existing drinking water infrastructure is not feasible. Learn more

City of Boardman Source Protection Plan

The City of Boardman Source Protection Plan uses Oregon Health Authority grant funding to identify potential risks to the city’s municipal groundwater drinking water supply. Water is pulled from three source areas before being treated and provided to Boardman residents. The Source Protection Plan identifies strategies to identify any risks to these source areas, presents an implementation plan for any strategies developed, discusses the City’s contingency plan, and considers future water sources. The City sought public comment on the plan at a May 21,2026 public meeting and as of the date of this blog, has not formally ratified the Plan. Learn more

Want to take a deeper dive into progress being made in the short and long-term? Visit our progress page.