[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6087145,"mediaKeyId","2891300-a9ec731aefa7031a9680be5a18b2c610","parentId",2891300,"title","Committee debates fee increases and a proposed $1.7 million general‑fund offset to slow water‑rights fee hikes","audioSeconds",1230,"startMs",2444000,"endMs",3674000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891300-a9ec731aefa7031a9680be5a18b2c610&start=2444&end=3674","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891300-a9ec731aefa7031a9680be5a18b2c610/thumbnail_2444000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6087145/Oregon/Committee-debates-fee-increases-and-a-proposed-17-million-generalfund-offset-to-slow-waterrights-fee-hikes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087145-a2dd60f722e07848d7a9d04fa0601d1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770733676&Signature=ERXgfC-mxGYS7auHLuyz3sdWfNVOZ~V68mMidXvZWLxJ4op-lKCBhhU2kkoyISbmPuZjhFNmaEdBZNHC14ugBKcWgKZ1u1Bgsw96F4jyYpXlilT4xDcZ63fxcaAb4vY7rbYciFSfqGkijGmGUTmEKNRWgU1bP5zvgLI3qFVUenYo9ykg6OAqUuDKjbmTRfJLw4Jpay~r9cg41iamj4xlFQDQZ-ny-nHg~b2x1ZCfzIkL2-Pm0t6deQNrB8uDuXkIGZDqMw4MkK6QNq1CHtbLMPMwZOKNwbkxwFFzIp82~DkOOF2UfumVYYIUhZJ2T4ZW2zIkT7zsvNsIuHTCGRYegQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","article","Committee Co‑chairs Helm and Owens described a package of fee bills and companion general‑fund proposals intended to reduce proposed fee increases and shore up staffing at the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD).

Co‑chairs said the pairing concept would use a $1.7 million general‑fund appropriation (proposed in HB 3,484 dash‑9) to buy back seven full‑time equivalent positions for OWRD so that the committee could reduce a proposed water‑rights transaction fee increase in HB 2,803. Co‑chairs described prior work group spreadsheets showing alternative fee‑and‑funding scenarios and said the $1.7 million figure was the department’s estimate to restore capacity removed in earlier biennia.

Representative Sharf and others pressed for clarity about the consequences if the general‑fund offset failed to secure funding in Ways and Means. Co‑chairs said the department had told them that without the appropriation staff reductions would lead to slower transaction processing and a larger backlog. Representative Sharf also questioned the scale of proposed fee increases compared with inflation and said agency employee costs had outpaced CPI; co‑chairs and OWRD staff explained state employee cost growth and step increases as drivers of personnel cost increases.

Committee members expressed broader unease about recurring one‑time general‑fund patches across multiple agencies. Representative Marsh described the situation as a “systemic problem” in state government budgeting and asked whether repeated one‑time allocations postpone structural solutions.

The committee opened a public hearing on HB 3,484 (dash‑9) and received testimony and questioning about agency budgets and priorities. After discussion the co‑chairs held over several bills to the committee’s April 9 agenda for additional work; those held over included HB 2,808 (well program fee bill), HB 2,165 (general‑fund companion), HB 2,803 (water right/transfer and dam safety fee bill) and HB 3,484 (the $1.7 million proposed appropriation). The committee announced a planned follow‑up on Wednesday and requested additional LFO and agency information.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water 04/07/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Co‑chairs described a plan to pair fee increases in HB 2,803 with a $1.7 million general‑fund allocation in HB 3,484 to buy back OWRD positions; members questioned sustainability and accountability and asked for more fiscal detail.","taxTitle","Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17399,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087150,"Committee approves DOGAMI‑led plan for integrated water data portal, sends bill to Ways and Means",3073,823000,3896000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891300-a9ec731aefa7031a9680be5a18b2c610&start=823&end=3896","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891300-a9ec731aefa7031a9680be5a18b2c610/thumbnail_823000.jpg","/articles/6087150/Oregon/Committee-approves-DOGAMIled-plan-for-integrated-water-data-portal-sends-bill-to-Ways-and-Means","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087150-71449bd613d30b335d286675cb3f9b1c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770733676&Signature=mJtwum~VQW9Cc5E5OA9o1gMBbogqBPouNgtlnLfMZqllGUWio83pK0~HZGVQvYsZRX8QR-BNb-Luvxtu4iOOhWNSK6hChnrDcmNHCHSnbSr2D5WTx6mW4ikfGT7Snre-J8b8OBPwH9Ls4-hpyDs4U6BPHy5xy~zkZSQse1TT4S-B3hPMrmbOiqHthqVhCe2Tf43dcUzYfw6VRCSp-0bWyO4PIcd8WDuG2rRe3KzII6hO2T4tqRLs9QmwqUH77bRiPUWlR75u03eec7hw4iOrC4jF3Pfeqk-wN~hkueiqaYWWi1askXhNsQTB2EG7qkT3ydM-WMMRG5Hi15rhciO2hw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Committee Co‑chairs Helm and Owens and members adopted the dash‑5 amendment to House Bill 3,106 and voted to send the amended measure to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means with a due‑pass recommendation.

The dash‑5 amendment replaces the original appropriation to the Department of Environmental Quality and instead establishes an integrated water resources data team under the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), an integrated water data portal and an integrated water data council.

Co‑chair Owens described DOGAMI as “kind of like the USGS of Oregon” and said DOGAMI would serve as a central validator and steward for the state’s water data so that multiple agencies can use a single, consistent data source. Committee members pressed staff and co‑chairs on fiscal and staffing implications.

Representative McLean asked whether the amendment would add staff to DOGAMI; co‑chairs and witnesses said yes — DOGAMI’s fiscal estimate cited in committee was roughly $4,000,000 over the next biennium to stand up the program and add staff. Committee members said the bill is likely a multi‑biennium effort and would require additional coordination among the 17 state agencies that hold water data.

Representative Marsh and others raised concerns about the lack of a full fiscal analysis from the Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) and the absence of a governor’s budget request for the portal itself. Co‑chairs said LFO had issued only a fiscal light and that more detailed fiscal work would be difficult to secure in the week before the committee scheduled to act.

The committee approved the dash‑5 amendment on a roll call and then advanced House Bill 3,106 as amended to Ways and Means with a due‑pass recommendation. Co‑chair Owens and Co‑chair Helm said they would seek further information on agency costs and public interface options as the bill advances to budget committees.","Lawmakers adopted the dash‑5 amendment to House Bill 3,106 to create an integrated water resources data team led by DOGAMI and referred the amended bill to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Members expressed concern about fiscal details and ongoing need for multi‑biennium funding.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087155,"Committee hears competing views on bill to allow small-scale sales from domestic wells",2463,3974000,6437000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891300-a9ec731aefa7031a9680be5a18b2c610&start=3974&end=6437","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891300-a9ec731aefa7031a9680be5a18b2c610/thumbnail_3974000.jpg","/articles/6087155/Oregon/Committee-hears-competing-views-on-bill-to-allow-small-scale-sales-from-domestic-wells","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087155-1e3938f6335720aeb3635a899f6847e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770733676&Signature=bWGuvOUNExGNXcpdhh5jBM83~qu-~FlKQabeC7T7T58xWX-G-1iLa7qWUIJYuu8U8KGMtxQC8ncC~O-oHuw754hCMSVGByjI0kOfaeEx1L~tiKNARLtQTgNvlBMRaUWnTWo-jRgHpnCYLAHdvhLivv44q0-BKhCPNPmAZrnqq0h8kxTWcB-04cussK6vYwlWL33aJc2HRa-QRxBF6bTq9F1dGKlQ1qRZsJgFu6u~NzS0igNtLZpnNOvPQwPsUKUepc7HygbeRtJBc-t1s21qlp8n7YK7zTIFyUkT24xG4PT-lIxOhFtZdVa0h~cRVsYs~T-nGTe0xEGtI~u8Tvwnsg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Committee Co-chair Helm and Co-chair Owens and members heard more than a dozen witnesses on House Bill 3,372 (dash 5), a proposal to authorize limited commercial irrigation from domestic wells.

The bill’s dash‑5 amendment would allow exempt well users to withdraw up to 3,000 gallons per day to irrigate up to one‑half acre of lawn, a personal garden or a commercial garden. Proponents said the change fixes an inconsistency in Oregon law that permits many other commercial uses from domestic wells but bars sale of garden produce from those same wells.

Alice Morrison, representing Friends and Family Farmers, told the committee, “It is legal in Oregon to use however much domestic well water you want just to have green grass on a half acre,” and argued that the statute should allow small producers to sell food they grow. Christopher Hall, executive director of Water League, said domestic water supplies account for about 1% of total annual diversions and that domestic wells should be permitted to supply small direct‑market agriculture without triggering a rush of new use.

Speakers from farmers markets, local conservation districts and small farm operators described real‑world impacts. Michelle Townsend of the Oregon Farmers Market Association said the change would “help ensure that food is protected as an essential use of Oregon’s water resources.” Jason Kesseling, district manager of the Harney Soil and Water Conservation District and a small farmer, said his quarter‑acre operation used about 235 gallons per day in the hottest month and urged relief for small growers in food‑desert areas.

Opponents cautioned about groundwater impacts and the absence of review or monitoring for exempt wells. Kimberly Priestley of Water Watch of Oregon said exempt wells “provide a loophole to modern permitting requirements” and argued the state should instead be restricting exempt wells where they are hydraulically linked to streams or where cumulative effects are unexamined. Ryan Crabill, testifying for the Oregon Farm Bureau, said the bill “creates a parallel track” that could bypass modern rules requiring scientifically credible data for new groundwater uses.

Witnesses and committee members repeatedly returned to two facts: (1) under current statute an exempt domestic well can be used for some commercial activities (5,000 gallons per day is the prior commercial cap cited in testimony) but historically has not been allowed for selling agricultural produce from half‑acre gardens, and (2) domestic wells make up the large majority of wells in Oregon (testimony cited that domestic wells constitute about 88% of wells but roughly 4% of groundwater diversions).

Committee members asked for data and context. Representative Marsh and others requested information on how many small farms already hold water rights and whether expanding exempt uses would alter incentives. Co‑chairs and staff said the committee would follow up with agency and census data.

The committee closed the public hearing after the testimony and did not take a final vote on the bill. Co‑chairs said they would carry remaining related bills and return to work on April 9 for additional hearings and follow‑up information.","Supporters told the committee HB 3,372 (dash 5) would correct a 70-year-old discrepancy that prevents small growers using domestic wells from selling produce; opponents said expanding exempt wells risks cumulative harm to aquifers and lacks monitoring. The committee took public testimony and left the bill under consideration.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee debates fee increases and a proposed $1.7 million general‑fund offset to slow water‑rights fee hikes

Committee approves DOGAMI‑led plan for integrated water data portal, sends bill to Ways and Means

Committee hears competing views on bill to allow small-scale sales from domestic wells