Oregon faces dire water future, state audit finds

The North Santiam River is pictured at Detroit Dam.
The North Santiam River is pictured at Detroit Dam.

Oregon’s system for managing water is fragmented, underfunded and uncoordinated, according to a report released Thursday by the Secretary of State’s office.

Climate change, drought, overallocation of surface and groundwater, and the increasing presence of contaminants will present challenges the state is not prepared to confront, according to the report, titled “State Leadership Must Take Action to Protect Water Security for all Oregonians.”

“Water is life. And the findings in this advisory report are shocking,” Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said in a news release. “Not only are many families in Oregon dealing with water insecurity today, many more are at high risk of becoming water insecure in the very near future.”

Communities across Oregon are already unable to reliably access adequate, safe and clean water, the report finds.

Numerous problems prevent the state from addressing those issues, the report says. Those include a lack of shared priorities among state agencies; the absence of an actionable statewide water plan; and external pressures, such as litigation.

The report includes stories of water insecurity from across the state.

On the north coast, for example, forest industry practices have impacted watersheds used for drinking water.

In Harney County, an increasing number of large farms compete with residents for water, forcing some to invest in deeper wells.

And in Morrow County, residents recently were told they had been exposed to high nitrates in drinking water for decades.

Nearly a dozen state agencies regulate water, from the Department of Environmental Quality to the Oregon Health Authority to the Water Resources Department.

Because of that, the Audits Division addressed its recommendations to the state Legislature and the governor’s office.

The recommendations are:

  • Sustain legislative commitment and develop shared priorities to guide Oregon in making holistic and inclusive water decisions promoting water security.

  • Connect a regional planning system with an integrated state water plan to guide water decisions and policy development.

  • Convene a formal planning and coordination body to guide the statewide plan and provide consistent support for regional governance needs.

  • Define and clearly establish agency roles and responsibilities in state and regional water plan development and implementation.

  • Take steps to balance interests and address high-priority water security needs by increasing public engagement in state and regional water management decisions.

  • Enhance public awareness and understanding of the state’s urgent water challenges.

  • Explore opportunities to prioritize water security and equity more clearly in state policy, such as enshrining the human right to water in law and other policy changes that could expand protections for community and ecosystem health.

  • Improve water data to help Oregon agencies and communities better understand statewide and regional water needs and support strategic decision-making.

  • Adopt a strategic approach to water funding and a consistent funding base to support desired outcomes.

  • Show clear support for state water agencies tasked with carrying out regulatory responsibilities.

  • Integrate federally recognized tribes as full and equal partners and co-managers in water decision-making.

Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon faces dire water future, state audit finds