All landowners or operators conducting activities on lands in agricultural use shall be in compliance with the following criteria. A land occupier shall be responsible for only those prohibited conditions caused by activities conducted on land managed by the landowner or occupier. Criteria do not apply to conditions resulting from unusual weather events or other exceptional circumstances, which could not have been reasonably anticipated. Limited duration activities may be exempted from these conditions subject to prior approval by the department.

1. (1) No agricultural land management or soil disturbing activity shall cause streambanks to breakdown, erode, tension-crack, shear or slump beyond the level that would be anticipated from natural disturbances given existing hydrologic characteristics.
2. (2) Nutrient application rates and timing shall not exceed specific crop requirements. Crop requirements will be based on recommendations from the best available data applicable to a specific site.
3. (3) Construction and maintenance of surface drainage field ditches shall not result in sediment delivery to waters of the state from soil erosion caused by excessive channel slope, unstable channel cross-section or placement of disposed soils.
4. (4) Agricultural activities shall allow the development of riparian vegetation to control water pollution by providing control of erosion, filtering of sediments and nutrients, moderation of solar heating, and infiltration of water into the soil profile. Evaluation of riparian vegetation development will consider site-specific capabilities and anticipated levels of natural disturbance. Where cropping or resource protection activities have occurred, an adequate vegetative buffer or equally effective pollution control practice must be in place.

5. (5) Waste discharges: Effective upon adoption of these rules:

   1. (a) No person conducting agricultural land management or earth disturbing practices shall cause pollution of any waters of the state or place or cause to be placed any wastes in a location where such wastes are likely to escape or be carried into the waters of the state by any means
   2. (b) No person conducting agricultural land management or earth disturbing practices shall discharge any wastes into any waters of the state if the discharge reduces the quality of such waters below the water quality standards established by rule by the Environmental Quality Commission.
   3. (c) No person conducting agricultural land management or earth disturbing practices shall violate the conditions of any waste discharge permit issued pursuant to ORS 468B or ORS 568.

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 568.912

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 568.900 - 568.933

History

DOA 20-2026, minor correction filed 02/25/2026, effective 02/25/2026
DOA 20-2025, amend filed 09/23/2025, effective 09/23/2025
DOA 23-1999, f. & cert. ef. 10-6-99