INR Water-related Work

Technical Assistance & Analysis

Lotic Habitat Assessment (ORBIC)

Collecting stream condition data for habitat assessment for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Aquatic Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Program in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, and Nevada.

Wetland and Riparian Monitoring (ORBIC) 

Collecting wetland condition data for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Aquatic Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Program in Southeastern Oregon and Northeastern California.

Managing Data, Information & Mapping Tools

Water Planning Landing Page and Mapping Tool

Water planning is a critical component to securing Oregon’s instream and out-of-stream water future in the face of increasing water scarcity and uncertainty. Through planning, and our Water Planning landing page and mapping tool,  you can understand your water situation and identify solutions to water challenges. 

Columbia River Evapotranspiration Map Viewer

This tool provides summarized evapotranspiration (ET) data at the 12 digit hydrologic unit level from the OpenET Data Explorer. The presented summary data uses the average of multiple models called the "ensemble" model.

Oregon Water Map Viewer (BETA Version)

The Water Report aggregates water data for a selected area of interest. The report includes queried data for the following sections: area overview, water quantity, water quality, water use, infrastructure, and monitoring.

Mid-Coast Water Planning Landing Page and Mapping Tool

Developing regional solutions from Cascade Head to Cape Perpetua to provide adequate water supplies for water systems and local industry, while providing adequate flows and water quality for fish, wildlife, and our environment. Oregon Explorer created a landing page and map viewer for the Mid-coast Water Planning Partnership.

Oregon Watershed Restoration Inventory 

Providing access to the Oregon Watershed Restoration Inventory (OWRI) Database and GIS data in a number of formats for download.

Transboundary Freshwater Database Project (OE)

INR’s Oregon Explorer Team is working to create a map viewer for the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) created by OSU’s Dr. Aaron Wolf and colleagues. The TFDD is an award-winning, state-of-the-art Geographic Information System of the world’s international river basins and their institutions. The database includes the largest compendium of international and national water events, compacts, and treaties available.

DEQ: Addressing Water Data Needs

Coordinated by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), INR is working with DEQ and the Internet of Water to address water data needs. One of the project goals is to begin the initial scoping and design for a database framework of water and infrastructure data; and to develop a prioritized, working inventory of needed water datasets needed.

Convening & Science Advisory Projects

Statewide Water Conference

Through Senate Bill 5506, the 2023 Oregon Legislature asked INR to convene a statewide water conference to facilitate learning and relationship building between sectors, identify research needs, and develop a statewide research and learning agenda. The project website is located here.

Mid-coast Water Resource Planning Project (2021)

Lead by Creative Solutions, LCC, the Institute for Natural Resources, OSU Extension, and Oregon Sea Grant collaborated to facilitate the Mid-Coast Water Planning Partnership in developing their Water Action Plan.

Resources & Products

Trees to Tap: Forest Management and Community Drinking Water (2021)

There are 337 public water providers, servicing almost 3.5 million Oregonians, who rely on surface waters for some or all of their supply. These providers may own their source water watersheds, but many do not. As a result, they have little control on activities occurring in their source watersheds, many of which are forested and managed by a diversity of owners. The purpose of this project was to 1) update that report by synthesizing current science about the impacts of forest management on community drinking water supplies, and 2) describe and analyze the management of forested municipal watershed systems.

Resources & Products

  • Archived project webpage
  • Final Report: Trees to Tap Science Review Working Papers (15 June 2020) 
  • Video Links: March 2021 Trees to Tap Conference recording page with the video links embedded. This virtual conference reviewed the Trees to Tap Science Review using a mix of science presentations given by the project scientists and management presentations given by forestry and water professionals, regulators and conservationists. Science presentations gave a high-level summary of the Trees to Tap findings in each topic covered. Management presentations provided an overview which was followed by practical discussion of how to account for the report's scientific findings in practice.

Stage 0 Restoration (2020)

In coordination with the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, INR convened a workshop in November 2020 to bring together practitioners, researchers, regulators and other stakeholders to discuss current topics and data gaps related to implementing and monitoring restoration projects intended to achieve a Stage 0 condition.

The workshop was open to discussion of all types of restoration actions focused on restoring Stage 0 conditions, but was primarily focused on outcomes and monitoring of larger-scale projects that utilized heavy equipment to move large amounts of sediment into incised channels from adjacent terraces to reset the valley floor and increase floodplain connection.

Resources & Products

  • Workshop Report (2021): Behan, Jeff, K. Fetcho, R. Davis, and L. Gaines. 2021. River Restoration to Achieve a Stage 0 Condition:  Summary of a Workshop Held November 5th and 6th, 2020. Report to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (Salem, Oregon) and the Institute for Natural Resources (Corvallis, Oregon). https://www.oregon.gov/oweb/Documents/Workshop-Summary-Report.pdf
  • Video Links

Stage 0 Workshop: Day 1 Sessions I & II - Stage 0 Background/Overview, and Challenges & Uncertainties

Stage 0 Workshop: Day 2 Current Monitoring and Evolving Knowledge & Communication Network/Process

OSU Extension Water Needs Survey (2019)

The Institute for Natural Resources and the Institute for Water and Watershed worked with OSU Extension Service staff and faculty associated with water to assess priority water issues that need to be addressed over the next 5-10 years to help guide Extension water activities toward the goal of creating a community of practice.

Ecological Effects of Tide Gate Upgrade or Removal (2018)

The project was commissioned by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) to foster better understanding of the effectiveness of their past investments in estuary habitat restoration involving tide gates, and to aid in targeting future investments.

Resources & Products

  • Final Report: Souder, J.A., L.M. Tomaro, G.R. Giannico and J.R. Behan. 2018. Ecological Effects of Tide Gate Upgrade or Removal: A Literature Review and Knowledge Synthesis. Report to Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. Institute for Natural Resources, Oregon State University. Corvallis, OR. 136 pp. Submitted to Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board in fulfillment of grant #217-8500-14090. https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/technical_reports/3b591f80b