From OWRD: Harney Basin Groundwater Study + Other Updates
Updates
Information on Groundwater Study Findings and Groundwater Policy Presented to Collaborative
Last year the USGS and the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) delivered presentations to the Harney Basin Water Collaborative on the groundwater study findings as well as groundwater policy. OWRD also produced two technical memos summarizing groundwater declines in a select number of wells and estimates of groundwater use from irrigation. The Collaborative has posted all of these materials on their website:
Presentation by Steve Gingerich (USGS) on the Harney Basin groundwater system
Presentation by Amanda Garcia (USGS) on the Harney Basin groundwater budget
Presentation by Justin Iverson (OWRD) on groundwater law and policy in Oregon (begin at 1:24:00)
Groundwater Study Updates - OWRD Open File Reports Posted
The US Geological Survey (USGS) Groundwater Study Reports have gone through the peer review process and have entered the queue to be finalized and published via the USGS Science Publishing Network. You can see what the peer reviewers had to say by viewing the completed Peer Review Summary. The final publication date has not been set, but will be shared with you in a future email. Thank you for your patience as the Groundwater Study Team works hard to produce and finalize these reports.
The Department has posted the following two open file reports (OFRs) on our website. OWRD open file reports are supporting documents to the USGS Groundwater Study Reports providing the detail underlying various components of the groundwater study.
Well Interference Complaint Memo and Form Online
Thanks to feedback provided by the Harney Basin Water Collaborative, the Department has been working to clarify how to file a groundwater interference complaint and what steps the Department may take once a complaint has been filed. A well owner may want to file a well interference complain when they believe that their use of water from their well is being impacted by another nearby well.
Groundwater Measurement Cost Sharing Materials Online
As a result of suggestions provided by the Harney Basin Water Collaborative, the Department has provided a packet of information, including an application for the water measurement cost-share program. The The Department has limited funding available to assist well owners with voluntary installation of water use measuring devices on their wells or diversions from a stream or lake. This information can provide water users with information on how much water they are using and help them conserve limited supplies of water. Measuring devices may be required by the Department in the future.
Explore Well and Groundwater Level Data
USGS and OWRD have been working together to develop and maintain a Harney Basin Data Mapper that provides access to current and historic water-level data collected in the Harney Basin. the Department also has a Groundwater Information System that it maintains:
Wells can be found by type, depth, measurement date, well log, and other criteria. Groundwater level changes can be mapped in the USGS-OWRD Harney Basin Data Mapper between two time periods where water levels were measured. Well logs, lithology (underlying geology), and hydrographs (change in water levels) can be viewed for each individual well.
Additional Online Resources
Click on the links below for additional resources related to the Groundwater Study:
