As we work towards managing the valuable resource of water, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) may be working in your area and/or on your property. OWRD is the state agency that monitors and regulates legal water use. Under Oregon law, all water belongs to the public and in general landowners with water flowing past, through, or under their property do not automatically have the right to use that water without authorization from the Department. This authorization is more commonly referred to as a water right containing conditions that the user must meet to remain in compliance with Oregon Water Law.
In order to protect the rights of water users, and to ensure compliance with water laws, personnel from the Water Resources Department may require access onto your property. The legislature has provided authority for this action under Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) ORS 536.037(1)(e) & ORS 537.780(1)(e). In some instances, property owners may receive a notice of dates and times when their property will be accessed. However, the Department is not required to provide advance notice and has authority to access private property at any time in order to fulfill water management obligations.
In meeting these obligations, field staff respect that they are entering private property and value the owner's rights, taking efforts to ensure gates and roads are left in the same condition as they were found. In instances where a user is found out of compliance, further correspondence from the department should be expected.
If you have further questions, need contact information, would like to look up your water right, and/or would like to know more about Oregon Water Resources, please access the OWRD website at http://www.oregon.gov/owrd.
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