Oregon’s Plans for Stricter Groundwater Rules Face Criticism as Farmers Complain of Threatened Livelihoods

Oregon’s plans to tighten groundwater rules face criticism as farmers complain the new rules will threaten their livelihoods. The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) on Feb. 22 proposed new rules introducing major changes to the state’s groundwater policy, and as the agency has opened the proposal for public comment, some conservationists are praising the changes while some agricultural groups and small farmers are pushing back. The new rules were developed through a series of advisory meetings, which ran from April 19, 2023, to Jan. 23 of this year. The proposed changes will impose stricter standards for farmers who want to obtain groundwater use permits to legally pump water to irrigate their crops....