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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 2986
Sponsored by Representatives HELM, OWENS (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act tells irrigation districts that if a user requests less water for a season, the
user’s district must comply with the request. The Act says that the district may send the extra water
to other users. (Flesch Readability Score: 64.5).
Provides that an irrigation district that receives a request from a user for delivery of a lower
rate or duty of water during an irrigation season may not deliver to the user a higher rate or duty
of water during the irrigation season than was requested.Creates an exception. Provides that the
irrigation district may temporarily transfer the use of the water.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to irrigation districts.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section:
(a) “District” means an irrigation district formed under ORS chapter 545.
(b) “User” means an owner of land with an appurtenant water right that is subject to the
charges or assessments of a district.
(2) Notwithstanding ORS 540.270, a district that receives a written request from a user
to deliver a rate or duty of water for an upcoming irrigation season to the user under a
water right that is lower than the rate or duty under the water right may not deliver to the
user during the upcoming irrigation season a rate or duty that is higher than the requested
rate or duty.
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, a district that receives a request from
a user under subsection (2) of this section may deliver to the user the minimum rate and
duty of water that is necessary for operation of the district water delivery infrastructure.
(4) A district that delivers a lower rate or duty of water to a user pursuant to a request
from the user under subsection (2) of this section may temporarily transfer the use of the
water to another user as described in ORS 540.570.
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2364