A filbert orchard in north Springfield may become the site of a million dollar project to protect drinking water quality in Eugene.

Karl Morgenstern, board chair of the Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District, on July 7 sent a letter to the Eugene Water & Electric Board explaining the project and seeking assistance.

The district, a local government dedicated to soil and water conservation, is set to buy the 289-acre Rice Farms on the northwest corner of High Banks Road on Nov. 1.

The property is currently a filbert orchard, and is slightly upriver of EWEB's Hayden Bridge Water Treatment Facility, where the utility collects and treats the water that comes out of taps in Eugene.

The district is planning conservation work for the property. This could include moving away from p

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