Oregon Water Rights Transfer

The oregon water resources department owrd is responsible for the administration of water use transfers.

Oregon water rights transfer. Water rights must be used at least once every five years or else they are legally forfeited and subject to cancellation. Ground water has been subject to the permit requirements statewide since 1955. The water right holder must file a transfer application with the department to change a point of diversion point of appropriation type of use place of use or any combination of these. Application for district permanent water right transfer pdf supplemental form a pdf annual progress to date in implementing a water management and conservation plan pdf application for district permanent water right transfer doc supplemental form a doc annual progress to date in implementing a water management and conservation plan doc abandonment of layered ground water.

An oregon water rights certificate remains valid as long as it is not forfeited for non use for a period of five or more consecutive years in any fifteen year period. O oregon uses a 15 year look back period for evaluating whether a water right is still valid meaning that. It cannot be used for any other purpose than the type of use indicated in the water right. An application for a temporary transfer shall.

A water right is authorization from the state to make use of water either surface water or ground water. If there is a surplus beyond what is necessary to fulfill the senior right the water right holder with the next oldest. Forfeiture of water rights. 11 6 2019 10 04 52 am.

For example if you have a certificated water right to irrigate forty acres. Oregon s water laws are based on the principle of prior appropriation. This means the first person to obtain a water right on a stream is the last to be shut off in times of low streamflows. Transfer applications involving water rights located within irrigation districts districts and other.

Application owrd oregon water right transfer form created date. The standards and procedures for the department s review of water right transfer applications are in oregon revised statute ors 540 505 to 540 580 and oregon administrative rule oar chapter 690 divisions 380 and 382. Any portion of an acreage described on the certificate that is not used for five years in any fifteen year period can be forfeited in a cancellation proceeding and will revert to the stream and the next junior appropriator. 1 in accordance with the provisions of this section any person who holds a water use subject to transfer may request that the water resources department approve the temporary transfer of place of use and if necessary to convey water to the new temporary place of use temporarily change the point of diversion or point of appropriation for a period not to exceed five years.

Oregon water law statutes provide for the transfer of a water right in the place of use point of diversion or type of use. O in certain cases it is possible to transfer the water right to other lands though the proposed transfer must survive rigorous administrative review. Water rights are issued by the oregon water resources department owrd. A water use subject to transfer means a water use established by 1 an adjudication of water rights evidenced by a court decree 2 a water right certificate 3 a water right permit which has been fully developed and a request for issuance of the water.