Oregon plots new water strategy

By JOHN JACKSON, BILL BLOSSER, MARLA RAE and BOB LEVY
For the Capital Press

March 18, 2010

Most Oregonians believe we are blessed with a clean and abundant water supply because of our world-renowned rainfall and snowpack. The reality is this luxury is not enjoyed by all Oregonians. It is time for Oregon to develop and adopt an integrated water strategy that secures Oregon's water future.

In fact, we are facing water scarcity in Oregon today. The level of scarcity may depend on whether you live on the east or west side of the state, the time of year, precipitation levels, and the source of your water. In many places, surface water is fully spoken for during the summertime; groundwater levels have dropped to unsustainable levels, and our rivers and streams have suffered tremendously from habitat and species losses.

A large portion of the state does not have enough clean water or adequate flows to support uses such as recreation, drinking water, agricultural, industrial or instream uses for fish and wildlife. It is time to put our efforts into long-term strategic planning and action for Oregon's water future.

This planning process has already begun. In 2009, the Oregon Legislature supported the state's efforts to develop a long-term, integrated strategy for securing Oregon's water future. It tasked four natural resource agencies, together with their partners, stakeholders and the public, to set out a course of action for Oregon. Taking into account changes in population, land-use and climate, this strategy will need to anticipate the future and plan in a way that helps us better understand and meet Oregon's water quantity, water quality and ecosystem needs.

In terms of potential options, the field is wide open. This strategy could encourage policymakers to pursue recycled water or stormwater solutions. It could outline requirements for greater water conservation for all users (agricultural, industrial, municipal, household and others). It could place an emphasis on multi-purpose water storage solutions, including underground storage. It could identify additional instream water needs for fish and wildlife, along with floodplain and wetland restoration. The strategy could recommend funding of new water treatment technologies and infrastructure.

In the end, it is likely to be some combination of the above. The ultimate goal, however, is to meet Oregon's water needs into the future by ensuring that clean water is available when and where it is needed. We are at the beginning of a process where the potential solutions are many.

This is no small undertaking. We know that every Oregonian has a stake in Oregon's water, and in true Oregon spirit will offer creative and innovative ideas to this process. We want you to be a part of this effort. This spring, the agencies will be hosting open houses throughout Oregon and we invite you to come share your views.

Please join us.

John Jackson chairs the Oregon Water Resources Commission, Bill Blosser chairs the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission, Marla Rae chairs the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Bob Levy chairs the Oregon Board of Agriculture.

Open house schedule

Open houses will take place in the following locations:

March 31: Gresham City Hall

April 7: Holiday Inn Ontario

April 8: Umatilla City Hall

April 22: "The Barn" in Bandon

April 28: Tillamook County Library

May 11: Medford Library

May 12: Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls

May 13: Redmond Fire and Rescue

May 25: Harney County Community Center

June 8: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Salem

June 10: Eugene Public Library

For more information about the strategy or open house events, or to participate electronically, please visit www.wrd.state.or.us and click on "Project Page."