The release of crude oil onto agricultural land has the potential of taking that land out of production. Its return to production is often the principal goal of site remediation. A two-year study was conducted to examine the effects of a crude oil pipeline spill on the productivity of agricultural land. Experimental plots of wheat ('Triticum aestivum' c.v. Pasqua), canola ('Brassica rapa' c.v. Argentine), bromegrass ('Bromus biebersteinii' Rohman and Schult, c.v. meadow) and alfalfa ('Medicago sativa L. c.v. algonquin') were established in 1996 within the area of a spill which occurred in October, 1994, as well as on adjacent uncontaminated land. The study soil was a clay loam Gleyed Rego Black Chernozem developed from predominantly moderately fine lacustrine materials. Surface expression at the site was gently undulating. The annual crop plots were sampled for total oil and grease analysis in the spring of each year while sampling in the forage plots occurred only in the first spring. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)