The corporation is responsible for 3300 acres of tree fruit production, making it perhaps the largest agricultural player in the greater Medford area. The Bear Creek Subbasin was only the second watershed in Oregon to establish a SB 1010 plan, in 1998. Stevenson says Bear Creek Orchards can serve as a model for other, smaller operators in the fruit-growing Rogue Valley. But by working with the resources you have and managing more efficiently, you can increase the quality of your product as well as protect water quality. For Bear Creek Orchards, one of the biggest challenges has been dealing with erosion and general runoff from the often steep slopes of the orchards.
Irrigation is necessary.
So is the use of heavy machinery that can often create havoc with mud during the wet months. Simple changes in management techniques have helped. We try to mitigate that runoff by planting the middle of the tree rows with grass and keeping our equipment off the mud. We have built improved roads that can be used throughout the year. We try to minimize our machine activity when it is wet.