State, local officials warn permit holders: static groundwater reports due; water bank, new limits to change landscape

Representatives from the Oregon Water Resources Department told the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 3 that the state is beginning to send notices to water‑right holders who have not filed required static groundwater level measurements and that enforcement could include civil penalties for continued noncompliance.

"We are beginning to send notices out to those who have not been complying with these permit conditions, letting them know that we are needing them to comply. Starting next year, if we do not get compliance ... we would start ... enforcement procedures that might include civil penalties," said Carolyn Seppert, central region manager for the Oregon Water Resources Department.

Why it matters: county staff and water users rely on consistent measurement to track groundwater trends and manage allocations. OWRD officials said nearly 3,600 water‑use points statewide carry some form of a static water‑level reporting condition; the Tri‑County area of Crook, Jefferson and Deschutes counties has far fewer affected permits. "We have about 23" in the…