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Nutrient Reduction Strategy

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is responsible for restoring, maintaining and enhancing the quality of Oregon's lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus occur naturally in soil and water and are necessary for all living things. However, when too many enter the environment - from sources like compost, fertilizer, and human or animal waste - they can build up and cause pollution.

Nutrient pollution can change how aquatic plants grow, reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen that fish and other organisms need, and lead to harmful algal blooms. These effects can disrupt entire ecosystems and make water unsafe for people and wildlife.

DEQ's Water Quality Division is developing a statewide strategy to reduce nutrient pollution in Oregon's waters. The goal of this strategy is to reduce and prevent excess nutrients from entering lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater. It will help guide DEQ's long‑term decisions about where to focus its efforts and resources.

The strategy will address nutrient pollution from both direct discharges, such as pipes and treatment facilities, also called point sources, and indirect sources such as runoff from lawns, farms, and streets during rain or snowmelt, called nonpoint sources.

DEQ already has water quality programs in place and works closely with other state agencies, local governments and community partners to reduce and prevent nutrient pollution. The new strategy will build on these existing efforts and be updated over time as conditions and needs change.

To ensure the plan reflects the needs of communities across the state, DEQ and its contractor, Tetra Tech, are gathering input from Oregon residents, partner agencies, and groups affected by nutrient pollution. This input will help shape the priorities and actions included in the strategy and support the goal of keeping Oregon's waters healthy.

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Hearing from community members and other interested parties affected by nutrient pollution is important for creating a long-term strategy that works throughout Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon's environmental protection agency, worked with Oregon's Kitchen Table, a statewide community engagement program, to support the state's nutrient strategy.

In 2025, OKT asked more than 1,000 people who live in Oregon to share their thoughts about water quality and nutrient pollution. OKT used different outreach methods to reach people who are often left out of traditional decision-making processes.

After this first round of outreach, OKT hosted three virtual community forums. During the forums, OKT shared what they had learned and invited participants from different regions and backgrounds to discuss how their input could help shape the strategy.

Based on all outreach activities, OKT prepared a final report summarizing what they heard from communities. The report is available on OKT's website. It includes information about people's experiences with water quality, where they get trusted information, their priorities for addressing nutrient pollution, and the types of partnerships and local solutions they would like DEQ to consider.

DEQ and its contractor, Tetra Tech, will use the report to guide the statewide strategy to reduce nutrient pollution.​


​DEQ works to reduce nutrient pollution through its existing water quality programs and partnerships. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has long recommended that each state develop a formal plan to prevent, reduce, and address nutrient pollution.

To meet this recommendation, DEQ used funding from EPA to begin developing a comprehensive Nutrient Reduction Strategy. DEQ hired the consulting firm Tetra Tech to assist with this work. Tetra Tech was selected through a competitive bidding process based on its scientific expertise and experience with similar projects in other states.

Project Phases and Timeline

DEQ's work with Tetra Tech is organized into two phases:

  • Phase 1: Information Gathering
  • Phase 2: Plan Development

The project is currently in the information-gathering phase and is expected to move into plan development in late spring 2026. Tetra Tech is scheduled to complete its work on DEQ's Nutrient Strategy by June 2027. After the strategy is completed, DEQ will set milestones and regularly evaluate progress toward meeting them.

Phase 1: Information Gathering

During the first phase, Tetra Tech is reviewing DEQ's current nutrient pollution reduction efforts to identify what is working well. This phase also includes collecting information from other sources, such as nutrient reduction strategies used in other states.

Additionally, Tetra Tech is gathering input through surveys of:

  • State agencies and organizations that work closely with DEQ
  • People in Oregon who may be affected by nutrient pollution
  • DEQ staff

The final report for this phase will include recommendations based on DEQ's existing programs and legal authority, as well as priorities and needs identified through research and outreach.

Phase 2: Plan Development

In the second phase, Tetra Tech will develop a plan - referred to as a roadmap - to guide DEQ's future actions. This roadmap will build on DEQ's current strengths and partnerships and address the needs identified in Phase 1.

The roadmap will outline specific, prioritized actions that DEQ may explore, adopt, expand, or begin to reduce nutrient pollution statewide.

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Contact

Shannon Richardson
Program Analyst, Water Quality Division