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Eastern Oregon Officials Back Water‑use Flexibility; Conservation Groups Urge Caution
Summary
HB 4006 would let certain Columbia River water‑right holders adjust diversion points and use rights on different land through intergovernmental entities; proponents say it enables regional resilience and economic development without increasing withdrawals, while opponents warn it reduces state oversight and risks groundwater contamination and enlargement of rights.
The committee heard competing views on House Bill 4006, which would allow specified Columbia River water‑right holders to change points of diversion or apply rights to different land parcels under certain conditions, often using intergovernmental entities modeled on chapter 190 agreements.
Supporters — including municipal managers, irrigation‑district representatives and county commissioners — said the measure provides needed flexibility for Eastern Oregon agriculture without creating new water rights, increasing diversion rates or weakening measurement and reporting requirements. Dave Stockton, city manager for Umatilla, told the committee HB 4006 “does not create new water rights, does not authorize additional water use, and does not weaken existing environmental protections.” JR Cook and others said the change would encourage regional solutions and leave overall river withdrawals unchanged while improving groundwater resilience.
Opponents said the bill creates an inappropriate exemption for a single basin and would reduce state review that protects against injury and enlargement of rights. Kimberly Preci of Water Watch of Oregon said the bill would touch roughly 2,400 cubic feet per second of irrigation rights across a 51‑mile stretch and could effectively legalize enlargements of water rights; James Fraser of Trout Unlimited warned the measure conflicts with ORS 537.11 and risks treating water as a private commodity rather than a public resource.
Testimony from technical counsel and water industry groups said they had worked with the Oregon Water Resources Department to answer technical questions and that HB 4006 keeps season, rate and measurement limits intact while providing administrative clarity to local organizations that manage shared infrastructure.
The committee closed the public hearing after hearing municipal leaders, irrigation representatives, conservation groups and industry representatives; no committee vote was taken. Committee members will consider technical fixes, monitoring and reporting safeguards and whether statutory exemptions are appropriate in a single basin before deciding whether to advance the bill out of committee.
