1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3114
Sponsored by Representatives OWENS, HELM (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 concerns a process for managing water. The Act tells agencies to take actions
related to water. The Act gives money for supporting the process. (Flesch Readability Score:64.6).
Instructs Oregon Consensus at Portland State University and Oregon State University to sup-
port a process related to water management in the Chewaucan River watershed.
Instructs the State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Water Resources Department to
undertake certain activities related to the Chewaucan River watershed and Lake Abert.
Appropriates moneys to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for distribution to
Oregon Consensus and Oregon State University for purposes related to the process.
Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the Chewaucan River watershed; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) Oregon Consensus at Portland State University and Oregon State Uni-
versity shall continue to support a collaborative process for:
(a) Developing a shared understanding of water management in the Chewaucan River
watershed;and
(b) Identifying broadly supported actions related to the Chewaucan River watershed that
will strive to:
(A) Meet water needs, including needs for agricultural operations, communities, Lake
Abert, wet meadows and fish and wildlife;
(B) Address the ecological health of Lake Abert and the entire Chewaucan River
watershed;and
(C) Consider social, economic and environmental benefits and impacts.
(2) The process must be guided by a governance agreement that describes conditions for
participation, the scope of the collaborative process, how decisions will be made and how the
process will:
(a) Be developed by a collaborative group that represents a balance of interests, including
but not limited to interests in in-stream and out-of-stream water;
(b) Address current and future in-stream and out-of-stream water needs;
(c) Promote contemplation of actions that are consistent with the state water resources
policy as defined in ORS 536.007 and water-related state laws that are in effect on the effec-
tive date of this 2025 Act;
(d) Be developed through an open and transparent process that fosters public partic-
ipation;and
(e) Be developed in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality, the
State Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Water Resources Department and affected
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 2749 HB3114
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
federally recognized Indian tribes.
(3) The process may not delay or preclude the activities of agencies, including activities
such as applying for in-stream water rights, regulating water use, managing water rights,
collecting water-related data and performing technical analyses.
(4) The process may not interfere with water appropriations granted on or before the
effective date of this 2025 Act for privately held surface and ground water rights to use water
from the Chewaucan River watershed and the tributaries of the watershed.
(5) The process may not delay or preclude the activities of private landowners, including
activities such as applying for new water rights, for water right transfer, for changes in
points of diversion or appropriation or for irrigation uses, or any other activities allowed
under water-related state laws.
SECTION 2. Section 1 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2028.
SECTION 3. (1) The State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Water Resources
Department shall undertake activities related to the Chewaucan River watershed and Lake
Abert, including but not limited to the following activities:
(a) Collecting data and information, and performing technical analyses, to develop an
improved understanding of water management and the hydrologic system.
(b) Collecting data and information, and performing technical analyses, related to fish
and wildlife, including information and analyses about the presence, distribution and water
needs of the fish and wildlife.
(c) Developing a refined hydrologic analysis that assesses water inflows, water outflows
and changes in water storage.
(d) Supporting collaborative processes, public participation and the resolution of complex
issues related to water management.
(2) The State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Water Resources Department may
contract for performance of the activities described in subsection (1) of this section.
SECTION 4.In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, for the biennium beginning July 1,
2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $420,000, for distribution to Oregon Consensus
at Portland State University, which must be used for the purposes described in section 1 of
this 2025 Act and may be used for awarding grants and stipends to participants in the
collaborative process described in section 1 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 5.In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, for the biennium beginning July 1,
2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $150,000, for distribution to Oregon State Uni-
versity, which must be used for the purposes described in section 1 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 6.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
July 1, 2025.
[2]