Title 45, Water Resources: Irrigation, Drainage, Flood Control, Reclamation

The people of the State of Oregon find and declare that: (1) Public uses are beneficial uses. (2) The recognition of an in-stream water right under ORS 537.336 to 537.348 shall not diminish the public’s rights in the ownership and control of the waters of this state or the public…

(1) The State Department of Fish and Wildlife may request the Water Resources Commission to issue water right certificates for in-stream water rights on the waters of this state in which there are public uses relating to the conservation, maintenance and enhancement of aquatic an…

The Water Resources Commission by rule shall establish standards, criteria and procedures by which a state agency included under ORS 537.336 may request an in-stream water right to be issued under ORS 537.336. [1987 c.859 §5]

Subject to the provisions of ORS 537.343, the Water Resources Commission shall issue a certificate for an in-stream water right. The in-stream water right shall date from the filing of the application with the commission. The certificate shall be in the name of the Water Resource…

(1) A proposed final order issued under ORS 537.170 (3) or (5) for an in-stream water right certificate may include any condition the Water Resources Director considers necessary, but which is consistent with the intent of ORS 537.332 to 537.360. The proposed final order may: (a)…

(1) All minimum perennial streamflows established on any waters of this state before June 25, 1988, shall be converted to in-stream water rights after the Water Resources Commission reviews the streamflows and the Water Resources Department issues a certificate for an in-stream w…

(1) Any person may purchase or lease all or a portion of an existing water right or accept a gift of all or a portion of an existing water right for conversion to an in-stream water right. Any water right converted to an in-stream water right under this section shall retain the p…

Except as provided in ORS 537.343, the Water Resources Department shall process a request received under ORS 537.336 for a certificate for an in-stream water right in accordance with the provisions for obtaining a permit to appropriate water under ORS 537.140 to 537.252. [1995 c.…

(1) After the Water Resources Commission issues a certificate for an in-stream water right under ORS 537.341 to 537.348, the in-stream water right shall have the same legal status as any other water right for which a certificate has been issued. (2) An in-stream water right is no…

Notwithstanding any provision of ORS 537.332 to 537.343 and 537.350, the right to the use of the waters of this state for a project for multipurpose storage or municipal uses or by a municipal applicant, as defined in ORS 537.282, for a hydroelectric project, shall take precedenc…

An in-stream water right established under the provisions of ORS 537.332 to 537.360 shall be subject to the provisions of ORS 536.700 to 536.780. [1987 c.859 §12]

(1) Any local government, local watershed council or state agency or any other individual cooperating jointly with a local government, local watershed council or state agency may request the Water Resources Commission to reserve unappropriated water for multipurpose storage for f…

(1) In adopting a rule under ORS 537.356 to reserve unappropriated water for multipurpose storage for future economic development, the Water Resources Commission shall include a public interest review that takes into consideration the factors described under ORS 537.170. (2) A pe…

If an application is pending under this chapter for a water right permit to use water for hydroelectric purposes or under ORS 543.010 to 543.610 for a hydroelectric permit or license at the time the Water Resources Commission receives an application for an in-stream water right u…

(1) Notwithstanding any condition or limitation of a water right permit issued under ORS 537.211 or 537.625 or a water right certificate issued under ORS 537.250, 537.630 or 539.140, upon receipt of a request by the State Department of Agriculture, the Water Resources Commission …

(1) At a location described in subsection (2) of this section, a person may not: (a) Use, store or divert any waters under ORS 537.130; (b) Use or attempt to use any ground water under ORS 537.535; (c) Construct or attempt to construct any well or other means of developing and se…

In any valuation for rate-making purposes, or in any proceeding for the acquisition of rights to the use of water and the property used in connection therewith, under any license or statute of the United States or under the laws of Oregon, no value shall be recognized or allowed …

(1) Any certificate issued for power purposes to a person other than the United States, or the State of Oregon or any municipality thereof, shall provide that after the expiration of 50 years from the granting of the certificate or at the expiration of any federal power license, …

(1) All applications for reservoir permits shall be subject to the provisions of ORS 537.130, 537.140, 537.142 and 537.145 to 537.240, except that an enumeration of any lands proposed to be irrigated under the Water Rights Act shall not be required in the primary permit. But the …

(1) Reservoirs in existence on or before January 1, 1995, that store less than 9.2 acre-feet of water or with a dam or impoundment structure less than 10 feet in height, are found to be a beneficial use of the water resources of this state. Except as provided in subsection (4) of…

(1) The Water Resources Department shall issue a water right certificate to any person who submitted an application for a reservoir under section 4, chapter 595, Oregon Laws 1993. (2) Within 90 days after issuing a certificate under subsection (1) of this section, the department …

(1) In lieu of the process set forth in ORS 537.140 to 537.211 for applying for a water right permit, an applicant for a reservoir permit may submit an application to the Water Resources Department to issue a water right permit under ORS 537.211 or a certificate under ORS 537.250…

(1) Whenever the owner of a permit to appropriate the public waters of Oregon fails to commence actual construction work within the time required by law, or having commenced construction work as required by law, fails or neglects to prosecute the construction work with reasonable…

Whenever a permit holder fails to comply with the laws of the state and the requirements of the permit as to the commencement of work with due diligence, completion of the work of construction or the application of the water for a beneficial use, and the permit is subject to canc…

If the decision of the Water Resources Commission requires the cancellation of a permit, then the commission shall at once cancel, or have canceled, the permit. Thereafter the permit shall be of no further force or effect, and shall not be recognized or admitted as evidence of an…

(1) The provisions of ORS 536.076 and 536.077, and rules adopted thereunder, apply to a contested case proceeding on a proposed final order issued under ORS 537.410 to 537.450. (2) If a petition for review of an order canceling a permit or appropriation is filed under ORS 536.075…

The Water Resources Commission may by rule provide that the owners of permits shall submit or furnish proofs of commencement of work, prosecution of work with due diligence, completion of work, and of the application of water to a beneficial use under the permits. Failure to comp…

As used in ORS 537.455 to 537.500 and 540.510: (1) “Conservation” means the reduction of the amount of water diverted to satisfy an existing beneficial use achieved either by improving the technology or method for diverting, transporting, applying or recovering the water or by im…

(1) The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that conservation and efficient utilization of water benefits all water users, provides water to satisfy current and future needs through reduction of consumptive waste, improves water quality by reducing contaminated return flow, p…

The provisions of ORS 537.455 to 537.500 establish a voluntary program and apply only to those persons who choose to apply for an allocation of conserved water under ORS 537.465. [1993 c.641 §11; 2003 c.93 §2] Note: See note under 537.455.

(1) Any person or group of persons holding a water use subject to transfer as defined in ORS 540.505 may submit an application to the Water Resources Commission for approval of an allocation of conserved water for a measure that: (a) The person or group of persons intends to impl…

(1) Upon receipt of an application for allocation of conserved water under ORS 537.465, the Water Resources Commission shall give notice of receipt of the application in accordance with ORS 540.520 (6)(c)(B). (2) The commission shall allocate conserved water as provided in subsec…

The Water Resources Commission shall adopt rules and standards necessary to carry out the provisions of ORS 537.455 to 537.500. The rules may include formulas or other criteria for evaluating the effects of allocation of water on existing rights and for determining whether, and t…

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of ORS chapter 536, 537, 538, 539, 540, 541, 542 or 543, the priority of any right to the use of conserved water, including an in-stream water right, under an application submitted and approved by the Water Resources Commission under ORS 53…

(1) Any person or agency allocated conserved water under ORS 537.470 may reserve the water in stream for future out-of-stream use or otherwise use or dispose of the conserved water. Any person or agency to whom conserved water is allocated shall notify the commission of the dispe…

Any agency or political subdivision of this state may purchase a right to the use of conserved water, as defined under ORS 537.455, or accept a gift of a right to the use of conserved water as defined under ORS 537.455. If an agency or political subdivision requests that the cons…

(1) A water right for conserved water under ORS 537.455 to 537.500 and 540.510 shall have the same legal status as any other water right for which a certificate has been issued. (2) A water right for conserved water that is reserved in stream for future out-of-stream use under OR…

ORS 537.505 to 537.795 and 537.992 shall be known as the “Ground Water Act of 1955.” [1955 c.708 §1; 1963 c.293 §1]

As used in ORS 537.505 to 537.795 and 537.992, unless the context requires otherwise: (1) “Altering” a well means the deepening, recasing, perforating, reperforating, the installation of packers or seals and other material changes in the design of the well. (2) “Constructing” a w…

(1) The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to ensure the preservation of the public welfare, safety and health it is nece…

The Legislative Assembly declares that aquifer storage and recovery is a beneficial use inherent in all water rights for other beneficial uses. Aquifer storage and recovery is the storage of water from a separate source that meets drinking water standards in a suitable aquifer fo…

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the injection into aquifers of water that complies with drinking water standards established by the Oregon Health Authority under ORS 448.273 under an aquifer storage and recovery limited license or permit: (a) Shall not be consider…

(1) In accordance with this section, the Water Resources Commission shall establish rules for the permitting and administration of aquifer storage and recovery projects. The rules shall establish the Water Resources Department as the sole permitting agency for the projects, but t…

(1) No person or public agency shall use or attempt to use any ground water, construct or attempt to construct any well or other means of developing and securing ground water or operate or permit the operation of any well owned or controlled by such person or public agency except…

(1) Subject to subsection (3) of this section, a registration, certificate of registration, application for a permit, permit, certificate of completion or ground water right certificate under ORS 537.505 to 537.795 and 537.992 is not required for the use of ground water for: (a) …

Any permit granted or application for a permit approved under ORS 537.510, 537.520, 537.530, 537.540, 537.550, 537.560, 537.570, 537.580, 537.590 and 537.600 prior to and still valid and in effect on August 3, 1955, is considered to be a permit issued under ORS 537.625. Any appli…