Document Type

Report

Publication Date

4-27-2022

Abstract

In 2015, the Oregon Legislature passed ORS 536.220, which directed the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) to develop an integrated water resources strategy and gave it authority to make grants and provide technical assistance to communities seeking to engage in place-based planning integrated water resources planning (hereafter place-based planning). The legislation provided a means by which Oregon communities could coordinate an assessment of the water needs of instream and out-of-stream water interests in their area and reach agreement on how those needs could be met now and in the future. Legislators structured the program to give persons who live, work, and recreate in a community an opportunity to jointly create a vision of their community’s water future and outline a pathway by which they can realize that future. The pilot program also emphasized using state-community partnerships. Legislators expected that such partnerships would result in professionally vetted and broadly supported water resources plans, which the state could use when making decisions about technical and financial assistance for water resources projects.

ORS 536.220 specified that groups must include a balanced representation of interests, balance current and future in-stream and out-of-stream needs, facilitate locally developed solutions, use an open and transparent planning process that encourages public participation, develop plans consistent with existing state water laws and policy, and develop the plans in consultation with OWRD. OWRD developed a five-step planning framework to guide the development of place-based plans. The five steps included:

● Step 1 -Build a collaborative and inclusive process

● Step 2 -Gather information to understand current water resources and identify gaps in knowledge (instream and out-of-stream)

● Step 3 -Examine current and future water needs for people, the economy, and the environment (instream and out-of-stream)

● Step 4 -Develop and prioritize strategic and integrated solutions to meet water needs

● Step 5 -Adopt and implement a local integrated water resources plan.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/45182

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