Comparative Water Quality of Cozine, Gooseneck and Mill Creeks

The environmental research methods class of fall 2013 analyzed the water quality of three creeks in the Yamhill (Oregon) Watershed: Cozine, Gooseneck, and Mill Creeks. Our research builds on data collected by previous years\u27 classes (Colahan et al. 2011; Weinbender and Crane 2011; Bailey et al. 2012). The goals of the project were to gain a better understanding of water quality at each site, see how the sites differ, determine causes for any differences, and examine changes in water quality over time. Because Cozine is surrounded by an urban environment, whereas both Gooseneck and Mill are in a rural setting, we hypothesized that Cozine would have the lowest overall water quality. The Greater Yamhill Watershed Council did restoration projects in Gooseneck Creek (Waterways Consulting 2013), so we also hypothesized that the water quality should be improving over time in Gooseneck and Mill. Testing the combination of these three sites allowed us to compare urban vs. rural effects on water quality

Can Yamhill County Feed Itself?

In this paper, we considered the following question: If Yamhill County in northwest Oregon were to become isolated, would the population be able to survive off the agricultural products grown within its boundaries? We looked at what the farms in Yamhill County grow and how large of a population they could support. Essentially, this looked at the feasibility of a purely local food system within the borders of Yamhill County. We hypothesized that Yamhill County would not be able to feed itself without outsourcing; stemming from this hypothesis, we examined the maximum amount of food that can be produced locally and what would need to be imported to meet basic nutritional guidelines. A study done in 2010 looked at the local food system of the Willamette Valley and compared the local agriculture with dietary needs for the population to determine if the valley could support itself. The study determined that the Willamette Valley does not meet any of the nutrient needs for a healthy diet given by the USDA for any of the food groups (Giombolini et al, 2010). Due to the scope and methods of this study, we decided to use this paper as a model for examining the local food system of Yamhill County