There are so many excellent benefits that come with moving out of the city and into the country. The farm, timber, ranch, and recreational land lifestyle is one that hundreds of thousands of Oregon citizens choose. One of the things we loved most when we lived out in Helvetia was the amazing freshwater that flowed freely from the ground and into our tap. From 500 feet down, that water had flowed to that home for over 50 years by the time we moved in during the 1980s. No filtration was needed, and man, did it taste good. The freedom of not having a water bill was exhilarating. Lest you think it was cheap, think again. A pump repair was well over $4,000 even back then, and anyone who drills a well now will get hit for a $10-$50K bill to do so.
Small acreages like this one in Oregon with wells would potentially be restricted by a proposed Oregon Hosuebill 3419.
Rumblings began hitting social media last week, which caught my ear; they were coming from well drillers around that state. Oregon House Bill 3419 is a Bill aimed at adding several new regulations that will require adding potentially expensive monitoring devices and reporting requirements to most of Oregon’s existing wells and water systems. These rules could hit very hard on farmers, orchards, and ranchers where existing water rights and systems have been utilizing water for decades. Some for a hundred years or more. Leaving politics out of this, these sorts of Governmental controls out of Salem are what have given the Greater Idaho movement more than a bit of inertia,
One could say it is good resource management. Still, we see very little resource management of this kind happening in the Data Center and Tech Sector in places like Hillsboro, where over 50% of all water is used by a handful of relative newcomers in the form of these H2O guzzling users. Many Oregon areas have critical groundwater levels, which have been restricted for 40 years or more, and protections are already in place.
This move by Salem with Oregon House Bill 3419 seems more about watchdogging the legacy users and setting up a set of Civil Fines for offenders. For the most part, this Bill has crept ahead with little comment. Then came a handful of social media posts by various well drillers around Oregon. While this bill does not focus on rural residences on small acreages, it does not exempt them from being monitored and charged fees as it is written.
Read this post by Bonebrake and Company – an Oregon Well Drilling company.
A call to action has gone out statewide, and with hundreds of thousands of small homeowners possibly being affected, the pressure is going to be high to get the language that protects them. Unless the bill’s sponsors seek to monitor and control all water in the State, an exemption or some better transparency needs to happen right away.
Bonebrake cautions Why This is Dangerous for Homeowners: • Losing water rights – You could be restricted from using your own well as you see fit. • Increased costs – Possible new fees, permits, or monitoring expenses. • Government overreach – More control over private property and water access. • Property values at risk – Restrictions on well water could reduce home values.
TAKE ACTION – These two gentlemen are the bill Sponsors- Contact Them
Representative Ken Helm
Democrat – House District 27 – Beaverton and Cedar Hills
Here is a summary the Herald has prepared, given the materials that the State has published so far.
Oregon House Bill 3419focuses on standardizing and improving the Oregon Water Resources Department’s (OWRD) authority regarding water measurement and reporting. Here’s a breakdown of key points:
Focus on Measurement and Reporting:
The bill aims to create more uniformity in how water use is measured and reported and to clarify OWRD’s enforcement procedures.
It seeks to address inconsistencies in existing statutes related to water measurement.
Potential Impacts on Well Owners:
The bill has raised concerns among agricultural groups and well owners about potential increased regulatory burdens and costs associated with mandatory water monitoring.
There are concerns that the bill gives OWRD broad authority to require water measurement, which could lead to increased monitoring for well owners.
It is essential to understand that the bill is geared toward permitted wells, especially those with water rights associated with them. And that there are reassurances that domestic wells will not be affected.
There is also information that there is proposed grant money to help with installing monitoring equipment.
Concerns and Opposition:
Agricultural organizations are concerned about the financial burden of implementing water measurement systems and potential privacy issues.
There are worries about the broad language of the bill and its potential for unintended consequences.
There is also concern about the OWRD’s ability to “weaponize” the gathered information.
Support:
Conservation groups support the bill, emphasizing the need for better data to manage water resources effectively.
HB 3419 doesn’t necessarily impose outright restrictions on well use, but it could lead to increased monitoring and reporting requirements for some well owners, particularly those with permitted wells. The bill’s outcome and its specific impacts will depend on the legislative process and any amendments that may be made.
Stop Oregon Bill 3419- Protect Our Farmers – was seen posted across some social media platforms.
CJ Nugentis a well-driller in Lebanon, Oregon, and might be the first to sound the siren on this issue. His Facebook posts have been strong and on point to his constituents, customers, and friends.
IF YOU OWN OR USE A WELL IN OREGON PLEASE READ!!!! THIS IS NOT A FORWARDED MESSAGE.
The Oregon Legislature is trying to pass a bill that will require Water flow meters and reporting of these readings to the state of oregon on ALL wells, springs, streams, ponds, and basically anything that you can store and use water.
I spent most of the day at the capitol yesterday working my butt off trying to get this bill ousted, however their is alot of environmental groups for this bill.
THIS WILL BECOME A TAX ON YOUR WELL WATER!!!!
I have seen this time and time again with water, and this is not a new concept, however this year they tried to sneakily put it into a STUFF bill, which means they took a 1 page bill and turned it into a 9 page bill shortly before public comment session. Had it not been for me, and I carefully disected the bill and the associated Statutes, their would have been little to no pushback!
A few other states have enacted similar bills, and within a couple of years, well users were paying for their water out of their OWN wells, that THEY paid for, THEY paid for the pumping system, treatment, power for the pump, and all associated repairs, only to pay the State ON TOP of all of that!
It is a HUGE overreach and will be devistating to ANY and all homeowners in this state who benefit from this.
I will also include, many mobile home parks, smaller municipalities, rural towns, are all on wells…THIS WILL AFFECT THEM AS WELL!!!!
Phoot from CJ Nugent Well Driller – Facebook post
I will fight tirelessly for all of you to the best of my ability and knowledge to get this shot down, however if this goes any further we need to flood them with public testimony!
The Bill in question is HB 3419 and you must click on the ammendments otherwise it will bring up the placeholder bill that is decieving and doesnt show what is really in this bill.
Bottom line…IF THIS BILL PASSES…..be expected to pay after a very short period of time for your water use. you will be limited to the gallon of what is legal, and be prepared to shell out $1500-$5000 up front for EACH water source on your property…Not city water to clarify.
Thanks for reading and PLEASE SHARE!!!
CJ Nugent
PS: please message, call, or email, if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them! Even better if you wish to get involved to save your property rights!
Maybe the firestorm these two hard-working Oregon well drillers got going will pay off sooner rather than later. The Herald picked up one message this evening that was a copy of a message sent from Republican Mark Owens, who is the Co-Sponsor of this bill, to some constituents:
“On House Bill 3419, the -2 and -3 amendments were incorrectly written. We have no intention of moving forward with any bill that would grant the Oregon Water Resource Department additional authority to require measurement and reporting on any exempt use, including but not limited to private domestic wells and stock water. We will issue an amendment and hold another public hearing.
Rep. Mark. Owens.”
If that happens, then this is proof that the power of the people does work. Provided we all watchdog our decision makers, speak up, speak out, and care about each other, we can get along as a people, both sides of that stupid aisle that divides us.
We need to be watching our water big time- but this is not what we should worry about- fines, meters, and restrictions for the people of Oregon who are here now and have been here. What we need to worry about is the 6-foot water pipe that Hillsboro and others just jammed into the beautiful Willamette River at Wilsonville to divert billions and billions of gallons of water to Hillsboro and Beaverton for Industry and tens of thousands of new homes that are to come. And California and Arizona want water from the Columbia River.
The world has changed. Water is now Gold- even in a place like Oregon. We need to protect it now more than ever. But Salem needs to turn its eyes and attention to the real threats- Data Centers, Chip Fabs, and rampant growth of our populations, especially in our Counties in Eastern and Central Oregon. Let’s hope House Bill 3419 will clean up its act and leave those with existing wells alone.
Thanks to CJ Nugent and the Bonebrake Well Drilling Company for taking action!
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Thank you for your email and allowing me to provide more information on the questions and concerns you have. It is disheartening there is a lot of misinformation on social media about these bills and I thank you for reaching out to get my perspective.
I want you to know that I do not support and will not support any bill that would make requirements for rural residents who get their water from exempt wells (wells that serve homes and that do not need a water right from the state). I do not support giving the state authority to monitor these wells and would never support a policy that led to any requirements, restrictions, or costs associated with these wells.
My track record has shown that I am getting resources to help folks with their wells. I want to make things easier for Oregonians to have access to safe, reliable water for their homes. This includes helping set up and get money into a fund to help repair and replace wells affected by drought, fires, and contamination (read more about the Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund). I get my water from a well and most of the people and communities I serve get water from wells. This issue is important to me and those I serve.
When I read the -2 and -3 amendments for HB 3419 and started receiving outreach from concerned constituents, I talked with my co-chair, Representative Ken Helm and we both agreed we could not support these amendments as written. During the public hearing on these bills both Rep. Helm and I were very clear that we do not support these amendments.
You can watch my comments from the original committee hearing where I also addressed the incorrect amendments and intent of the legislation.
From the same committee, you will see constituents in Oregon who also testified with understanding the amendments were not going to be adopted after my comments. It is disheartening there is a lot of misinformation on social media about these bills and I thank you for reaching out to get my perspective.
For those who are concerned about other bills, including HB 3573, I would be happy to share more about them. HB 3573 would restore or protect funding for programs that are already in place that Oregonians depend on and benefit from, including information about how much water is flowing through our rivers, what’s happening with groundwater levels, monitoring weather conditions to inform on-farm decisions, and getting a better understanding of how much water comes into and out of a watershed. This bill doesn’t change policy, it just funds programs that already exist. Any information otherwise is simply not true.
You can sign up for my newsletter where I will update on a weekly or semi-weekly basis through session.
Thank you for your patience with emails and phone calls, our office is incredibly busy, and staff returns calls and emails as fast as they can, please remain respectful.
One constant problem in Oregon is state government over-reach, aided and abetted by the Legislature. Too many laws go too far, causing more problems than they solve. This is one of them.
Well, I have written about that and the Emerge Sisterhood – It is both men and women in power here. I am an Indeopendent and have puvblished that I hate Donald Trump because of who is he as a human. And I tell my Democratic friends that this is why Trump Won- they fostered this situation with over reach beyond anything that has ever been needed. And you are very rigth from that regard.
Wells are going dry in the Klamath Basin. In many of our basins groundwater is being used faster than it’s being replenished. Collecting data on water use seems prudent to me, as staying the current course simply doesn’t work. I would be interested in hearing about solutions proposed by those offended by efforts to understand the problem.
Yeah. I’m curious how costly these flow monitors really are. We definitely don’t have the same level of water resources as we did 50 years ago, and we have a lot more people to share it with. Seems prudent to really understand how much we’re pumping out of the ground so it can be better managed.
Of course, the next step after this is to put limits on use. That’s what people are really freaking out about. But you can’t use it when we don’t have it.
Sounds like you are afraid of educated women. Instead of complaining, why don’t you educate yourself on why drilling and uncontrollably using well water could cause a giant problem for Oregon. Our state has some giant aquifers that are not only a main water source for agriculture, but also protect our state from massive damage of sinkholes and earthquakes, as long as they have a good supply of water. Too many wells tapping into an aquifer would cause the water table to drop, causing those wells to dry up, and creating the potential for major sinkholes. The water replenishment of aquifers has been seriously impacted by the ever-changing climate. As our state is getting warmer and we experience less and less of freezing water conditions (the best way of refilling aquifers long term) we are apt to have more damage from the next earthquake.
This isn’t the best write-up regarding Oregon’s ground water issues. The state hasn’t been enforcing rules put in place over 50 years ago….and it’s catching up with us. Thousands of wells throughout the state (mostly in Southern and Central Oregon) have been run dry. There are serious issues regarding water in several area’s though out Oregon. The New York Times ran a pretty good article about America’s over allocation of ground water and there’s a good map of Oregon in it. I’m not sure this legislation is the answer, but not doing anything is no longer an option. Like the previous poster wrote, I’d also be interested in hearing about solutions proposed by others that don’t think this is a problem and are trying to make sure nothing changes.
Not saying there isn’t a problem, but the state IS the problem. I used to live in Klamath Falls. The state and feds decided to take away the irrigation from the farmers due to a sucker fish that the state had tried to kill out intentionally decades before and couldn’t. Now they wanted to stop irrigation water use to save it. So the state started promoting irrigation wells for the farmers in lieu of surface irrigation. Hundreds, if not thousands of wells were drilled and farmers continued to farm using the wells. Now the water table is dropping and wells are running dry as a direct result of the government’s own policies of appeasement to the environmentalist lobby. They created the crisis. Same crowd that was working hard on getting all the dams taken out of the Snake River. Excuse us if we don’t want to give these loons more control. Just turn back the clock and let the farmers use the water they had rights to for over a hundred years. That would solve a lot of the problem.
What does that have to do with the crisis also in Jackson, Deschutes and Lake counties? They’re now reporting wells going dry in the Willamete Valley. State water officials reported in 2023 to the Oregon House Committee that most of Oregon’s 20 groundwater basins are being sucked dry faster then water can be replaced and that if something doesn’t change, it’s possible up to 50,000 wells could go dry.
Cara, Why don’t you solve where the problems are? Why have a state wide bill when it might only be needed in certain areas. Salem just wants to collect more taxes. You poor sheep don’t get it whatsoever, Salem writes it in lawyer language, you won’t understand it and then you decide it’s a. Good idea without any professional knowledge of the issue.
Cara, For your info the rural areas in all of Oregon only use 4% of all water volume used in the entire state of Oregon. So this bill is about 4% of the water. REALLY!!!
Salem does not install your well, they do not come out and provide any treatment against bacteria, they do not install a pump or pay for one, the do not provide a filter for the water but they do for the 96% of water used. And you can drink that water, you cannot drink rural water till you filter it. We hope you have one cent of common sense
I agree. I have lived on a well for a good portion of my life, probably 50 years of it. I once had an issue where the nursery next door put in an additional large volume well. It immediately sucked down our small shared aquifer starving our barely adequate wells. Fortunately for us, the nursery owner was a great person and self-regulated, at considerable cost to himself. Some regulation is called for, but it needs to be carefully written. Rather than stomping your feet and being as knee-jerk as the legislator you like to complain about, how about promoting and organizing oversite. Many laws have a legitimate basis, but end up being poorly written. Then they can cause more harm than good. Sounding the alarm before the bill is finalized is a good thing. But perhaps the focus should be more on writing a better bill, than on just killing it off. Don’t just say kill it. Ask why it needs to happen and then how can we make it better!
Cara, Our incompetent government allowed so many data centers in Prineville that no Oregon citizen can get a single family house permit, because there is not enough water. INTEL uses 5 800 000 gallons of water each day. There is your prime example that it is all about taxes coming in while the sheep(voters) by no attention to the cause or how it will limit their abilities to live in Prineville.
It’s time to DOGE Oregon government. If they continue with over taxing and under delivering to the people of the state, then it would seem like we have to make a change. One way, OR THE OTHER! The people of this country have had ENOUGH. Drop HB 3419 NOW. Fuck you! I am being silinced!
I am on well water. Nowhere in this article do I actually see what this bill does, rather only a focus on echoing scare tactics being touted by vested interests claiming increasing costs, government overreach, etc. Contrary to these claims, this bill simply has the Water Resource Department create a report on the current rules and, maybe, include some recommendations. For all we know, the report may recommend, I hope, that water be prioritized for farming over industry. Under the current circumstances, and with global warming well underway, it would border on malfeasance to not undertake such a report with a goal of reaching a consensus on insuring that we all have safe water to drink and farmers have the water they need to feed us. I suspect those yelling the loudest, seemingly well-drillers, understand that we’re reaching a limit where ground water being pumped out is greater than that being replenished and therefore new wells will be limited as will their profits. I hope that we all can understand and agree that ensuring a sustainable ground water supply is in all our best interests. This is cut and pasted from the actual bill: “Relating to water. Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. The Water Resources Department shall study rules related to water. The department shall submit a report in the manner provided by ORS 192.245, and may include recommendations for legislation, to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly re- lated to water no later than September 15, 2026.”
It is a couple of well drillers that let everyone know about this. They have been in water their whole lives. They were in in capitol as the bills were introduced and discussed, so they should have the inside scoop. They said it is in their financial interest for these to pass as it would create more business for them, but they think it is not in the interest of well owners. https://www.facebook.com/533520013/videos/969846128582549
Collection of basic water use and water level data is critical to sustainably managing our groundwater resources. Without this information it’s easy to continue approving new water uses for data centers and residential developments, with proper documentation of how much is being used, there becomes a basis for restricting new uses. So if you want to protect existing rural homeowners and farmers you should be all for more data collection. The pushback against this bill is misguided and will end up hurting rural Oregonians and promoting increased development.
All I read in this bill is required very expensive monitoring equipment, maintenance of said equipment, data collection on how much water you use out of your private well, then being charged for using your water with no benefit from the state on the use of your private well water. They suggest they offer a grant towards some of the cost for monitoring equipment the property owner has to install. No, I do not see a benefit other than for the state, added regulation and cost for property owners.
In the Willamette Valley, we have few problems with water issues. If you think this is such a great bill, why don’t you have it modified for the areas that are being affected the most, and leave everyone else alone
And yet they just found the biggest water supply under your feet central oregon……..under the central cascade mountains, theres an aquifer with twice the volume as lake mead. Look it up! We have to stop the this horrible government!! Enough is Enough!!!
And then immediately launches into a highly charged political statement.
Perhaps you have a solution for protecting water resources for everyone, or is this a case of “don’t stop me destroying the future”? It certainly seems like the latter.
I made a clear case. I understand there are a lot of large water users and that in dry counties that is needed for those folks. Individual residential wells that have existed should not be monitored. most wells will not produce more than 5-10 gallons per minute based on the casing or pump size. And again, until the power elite want to ration water to data centers and large tech firms, they have no business going after residential wells. Maybe if they select wells with large casings or bigger pumps in critical ground water areas as a start it would be something we can all agree with. The fact is this bill was trying to get away with something the the authors got caught. And not it’s in trouble- as it should be.
How can you leave politics out of it, when we have had a one sided political party government since 1987 which was Vic atiyeh. Since then it’s been all Democratic Party ruling Oregon. The one sided dems gov has created monster idiots in California, Oregon and Washington ruling the state with their majority. DONT LEAVE POLITICS OUT
Good, finally some oversight of our public resource. Wells have been unaccounted for too long. The only reason to oppose this is if you are taking more water than you are allotted.
The reason to oppose it is that new laws should not retroactively apply to people – and whats next? Will we have to pay for sewer bills when we don’t connect to sewer? Cameras in our bedrooms? Again, for new people after the law passes and big users-I am fine with it. But until they do something about the real offenders, leave the little folks alone.
We have a hidden farm in town. Delicious well water for over 60 years. If we get taxed and eventually forced into the sewer system we won’t be able to live here. My whole life. My whole world is this little farm. I don’t want to die for the beaurocracy.
That’s a ridiculous stretch! A journalist? scrutinizing the bill is a good thing. Alerting folks to its existence is a good thing. Wanting to kill it because it needs work, is short-sighted ignorance
Who the hell does the alloting? I don’t recall any environmental group alloting the amount of land I lost to wildfire this past year. Who are you? My taxes have doubled to finance wildfire response and my property insurance went from $3000 five years ago to $8000 this year because of the new Oregon wildfire map. And now there is a suggestion I don’t pay enough to water my cows. When does this end? There is not one communist bureaucrat in the state of Oregon that will tell you how much money is enough. I want signs too a lot of them. Anyone know where i can get them?
This is a Terrible idea. Just when Trump is cutting Food Stamps and 10’s of Thousands of jobs Nationwide. This Bill will raise Food cost over 20%, possibly up to 50%, for all Veggies, Fruits, Meat, and Gardening Plants. Plants and Animals drink water too. We consume those things, if our political leaders have forgotten. The cost for the Well Fees will be passed down to the Consumers.
What about ALL the water that these data centers use. NDAs are signed about water usage. Water is the most basic human right. Let’s start with disclosure of water usage, waster and process from these data centers before restriction on people ir farmer.
How many billions of gallons are being drained from the Columbia and other tributaries around the state to support data centers, chip fabrication, and other large industries? Not that I’m opposed to industry but shouldn’t these companies be held to higher standards of water recyling and minimal use? The same applies to housing developments which continue to sprawl across the landscape without required water recycling systems, etc. This is where the issue exists; not with individual private land owners. Those of us, many of us, on home wells understand the need to conserve water particularly in the heat of summer. Its always easier to divert human attention away from the giant culprits when the little folks are threatened. Keep your eyes and ears open!
The oregonian did an expose on this. Rogoway has been dogging this. Last I checked there was legislation in the works. Google managed to kill the last attempt through intensive lobbying.
I find it difficult to believe that Agricultural water regulation and home use water are in one bill. The Columbia is drained of water for agriculture each year. If farms tap into the ground water, geezypeezy your stealing from your neighbors. Water is a limited resource, when farmers start taking everyone else’s water, that’s a problem.
Leave our water and our GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO WATER alone! Enough is enough. Give us back all of the public lands that you’ve taken, and stop funding other country’s wars! Take care of us! Feed our kids, lower the inflation! Stop giving illegals thousands of dollars. Support our farmers and American companies. Fix our homeless problems. Strengthen our communities. Live a day in our shoes! You gotta try to govern the life giving water that comes out of the ground that hard working people are killing themselves to pay for!? They already own it! It’s not yours! Leave it alone!
This is regulation we don’t need. I pay almost $500 a year for the UV light and filters we need to assure cleanliness of our well water. We also spend money to have the wells checked for irregularities. Leave us alone and start regulating the giant (billion dollar companies) using all our water.
Representative Ken Helm
Who do we write or call to help stop this bill?
I will check and update the story for you.
I wrote Mark and Ken. Mark replied wtihin hours:
Rep Owens
8:11 AM (1 hour ago)
to me
Thank you for your email and allowing me to provide more information on the questions and concerns you have. It is disheartening there is a lot of misinformation on social media about these bills and I thank you for reaching out to get my perspective.
I want you to know that I do not support and will not support any bill that would make requirements for rural residents who get their water from exempt wells (wells that serve homes and that do not need a water right from the state). I do not support giving the state authority to monitor these wells and would never support a policy that led to any requirements, restrictions, or costs associated with these wells.
My track record has shown that I am getting resources to help folks with their wells. I want to make things easier for Oregonians to have access to safe, reliable water for their homes. This includes helping set up and get money into a fund to help repair and replace wells affected by drought, fires, and contamination (read more about the Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund). I get my water from a well and most of the people and communities I serve get water from wells. This issue is important to me and those I serve.
When I read the -2 and -3 amendments for HB 3419 and started receiving outreach from concerned constituents, I talked with my co-chair, Representative Ken Helm and we both agreed we could not support these amendments as written. During the public hearing on these bills both Rep. Helm and I were very clear that we do not support these amendments.
You can watch my comments from the original committee hearing where I also addressed the incorrect amendments and intent of the legislation.
From the same committee, you will see constituents in Oregon who also testified with understanding the amendments were not going to be adopted after my comments. It is disheartening there is a lot of misinformation on social media about these bills and I thank you for reaching out to get my perspective.
For those who are concerned about other bills, including HB 3573, I would be happy to share more about them. HB 3573 would restore or protect funding for programs that are already in place that Oregonians depend on and benefit from, including information about how much water is flowing through our rivers, what’s happening with groundwater levels, monitoring weather conditions to inform on-farm decisions, and getting a better understanding of how much water comes into and out of a watershed. This bill doesn’t change policy, it just funds programs that already exist. Any information otherwise is simply not true.
You can sign up for my newsletter where I will update on a weekly or semi-weekly basis through session.
Thank you for your patience with emails and phone calls, our office is incredibly busy, and staff returns calls and emails as fast as they can, please remain respectful.
Mark Owens
House District 60
Rep.MarkOwens@oregonlegislature.gov
503-986-1460
Frontier Oregon – The Best part of the State
One constant problem in Oregon is state government over-reach, aided and abetted by the Legislature. Too many laws go too far, causing more problems than they solve. This is one of them.
This is what happens when I bunch of suburban sorority girls run local government. Oregon has become a disaster in the last ten years.
Well, I have written about that and the Emerge Sisterhood – It is both men and women in power here. I am an Indeopendent and have puvblished that I hate Donald Trump because of who is he as a human. And I tell my Democratic friends that this is why Trump Won- they fostered this situation with over reach beyond anything that has ever been needed. And you are very rigth from that regard.
Wells are going dry in the Klamath Basin. In many of our basins groundwater is being used faster than it’s being replenished. Collecting data on water use seems prudent to me, as staying the current course simply doesn’t work. I would be interested in hearing about solutions proposed by those offended by efforts to understand the problem.
Yeah. I’m curious how costly these flow monitors really are. We definitely don’t have the same level of water resources as we did 50 years ago, and we have a lot more people to share it with. Seems prudent to really understand how much we’re pumping out of the ground so it can be better managed.
Of course, the next step after this is to put limits on use. That’s what people are really freaking out about. But you can’t use it when we don’t have it.
You do have a good point Eric.
But the Fees will still be taxed onto the Cosumers. Food costs will rise, GARANTEED.
The Farmers will pay for it up front, but, in the long run, Farmers could make more Money. While the Consumers will FOREVER pay More for Food.
The bill requires property owner pays for the monitoring equipment, any maintenance needed, and a charge for using the water extracted.
Sounds like you are afraid of educated women. Instead of complaining, why don’t you educate yourself on why drilling and uncontrollably using well water could cause a giant problem for Oregon. Our state has some giant aquifers that are not only a main water source for agriculture, but also protect our state from massive damage of sinkholes and earthquakes, as long as they have a good supply of water. Too many wells tapping into an aquifer would cause the water table to drop, causing those wells to dry up, and creating the potential for major sinkholes.
The water replenishment of aquifers has been seriously impacted by the ever-changing climate. As our state is getting warmer and we experience less and less of freezing water conditions (the best way of refilling aquifers long term) we are apt to have more damage from the next earthquake.
Where can we get one of the Stop Bill 3419 signs?
Actually I would like to purchase quite a few.
Thanks
I will not comply to this
Fuck the GOP Fuck the Nazi right. #resist always we are watching
Yes, we are watching you and resisting more government control.
This isn’t the best write-up regarding Oregon’s ground water issues. The state hasn’t been enforcing rules put in place over 50 years ago….and it’s catching up with us. Thousands of wells throughout the state (mostly in Southern and Central Oregon) have been run dry. There are serious issues regarding water in several area’s though out Oregon. The New York Times ran a pretty good article about America’s over allocation of ground water and there’s a good map of Oregon in it. I’m not sure this legislation is the answer, but not doing anything is no longer an option. Like the previous poster wrote, I’d also be interested in hearing about solutions proposed by others that don’t think this is a problem and are trying to make sure nothing changes.
Not saying there isn’t a problem, but the state IS the problem. I used to live in Klamath Falls. The state and feds decided to take away the irrigation from the farmers due to a sucker fish that the state had tried to kill out intentionally decades before and couldn’t. Now they wanted to stop irrigation water use to save it. So the state started promoting irrigation wells for the farmers in lieu of surface irrigation. Hundreds, if not thousands of wells were drilled and farmers continued to farm using the wells. Now the water table is dropping and wells are running dry as a direct result of the government’s own policies of appeasement to the environmentalist lobby. They created the crisis. Same crowd that was working hard on getting all the dams taken out of the Snake River. Excuse us if we don’t want to give these loons more control. Just turn back the clock and let the farmers use the water they had rights to for over a hundred years. That would solve a lot of the problem.
What does that have to do with the crisis also in Jackson, Deschutes and Lake counties? They’re now reporting wells going dry in the Willamete Valley. State water officials reported in 2023 to the Oregon House Committee that most of Oregon’s 20 groundwater basins are being sucked dry faster then water can be replaced and that if something doesn’t change, it’s possible up to 50,000 wells could go dry.
Cara,
Why don’t you solve where the problems are? Why have a state wide bill when it might only be needed in certain areas.
Salem just wants to collect more taxes. You poor sheep don’t get it whatsoever, Salem writes it in lawyer language, you won’t understand it and then you decide it’s a. Good idea without any professional knowledge of the issue.
Cara,
For your info the rural areas in all of Oregon only use 4% of all water volume used in the entire state of Oregon. So this bill is about 4% of the water. REALLY!!!
Salem does not install your well, they do not come out and provide any treatment against bacteria, they do not install a pump or pay for one, the do not provide a filter for the water but they do for the 96% of water used. And you can drink that water, you cannot drink rural water till you filter it.
We hope you have one cent of common sense
I agree. I have lived on a well for a good portion of my life, probably 50 years of it. I once had an issue where the nursery next door put in an additional large volume well. It immediately sucked down our small shared aquifer starving our barely adequate wells. Fortunately for us, the nursery owner was a great person and self-regulated, at considerable cost to himself. Some regulation is called for, but it needs to be carefully written. Rather than stomping your feet and being as knee-jerk as the legislator you like to complain about, how about promoting and organizing oversite. Many laws have a legitimate basis, but end up being poorly written. Then they can cause more harm than good.
Sounding the alarm before the bill is finalized is a good thing. But perhaps the focus should be more on writing a better bill, than on just killing it off.
Don’t just say kill it. Ask why it needs to happen and then how can we make it better!
Cara,
Our incompetent government allowed so many data centers in Prineville that no Oregon citizen can get a single family house permit, because there is not enough water. INTEL uses 5 800 000 gallons of water each day. There is your prime example that it is all about taxes coming in while the sheep(voters) by no attention to the cause or how it will limit their abilities to live in Prineville.
No , this is wrong.How do we stop this bills continuance
Contact the sponsors.
It’s time to DOGE Oregon government. If they continue with over taxing and under delivering to the people of the state, then it would seem like we have to make a change. One way, OR THE OTHER! The people of this country have had ENOUGH. Drop HB 3419 NOW.
Fuck you! I am being silinced!
I am on well water. Nowhere in this article do I actually see what this bill does, rather only a focus on echoing scare tactics being touted by vested interests claiming increasing costs, government overreach, etc. Contrary to these claims, this bill simply has the Water Resource Department create a report on the current rules and, maybe, include some recommendations. For all we know, the report may recommend, I hope, that water be prioritized for farming over industry.
Under the current circumstances, and with global warming well underway, it would border on malfeasance to not undertake such a report with a goal of reaching a consensus on insuring that we all have safe water to drink and farmers have the water they need to feed us.
I suspect those yelling the loudest, seemingly well-drillers, understand that we’re reaching a limit where ground water being pumped out is greater than that being replenished and therefore new wells will be limited as will their profits. I hope that we all can understand and agree that ensuring a sustainable ground water supply is in all our best interests.
This is cut and pasted from the actual bill:
“Relating to water.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. The Water Resources Department shall study rules related to water. The
department shall submit a report in the manner provided by ORS 192.245, and may include
recommendations for legislation, to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly re-
lated to water no later than September 15, 2026.”
It is a couple of well drillers that let everyone know about this. They have been in water their whole lives. They were in in capitol as the bills were introduced and discussed, so they should have the inside scoop. They said it is in their financial interest for these to pass as it would create more business for them, but they think it is not in the interest of well owners. https://www.facebook.com/533520013/videos/969846128582549
Collection of basic water use and water level data is critical to sustainably managing our groundwater resources. Without this information it’s easy to continue approving new water uses for data centers and residential developments, with proper documentation of how much is being used, there becomes a basis for restricting new uses. So if you want to protect existing rural homeowners and farmers you should be all for more data collection. The pushback against this bill is misguided and will end up hurting rural Oregonians and promoting increased development.
All I read in this bill is required very expensive monitoring equipment, maintenance of said equipment, data collection on how much water you use out of your private well, then being charged for using your water with no benefit from the state on the use of your private well water. They suggest they offer a grant towards some of the cost for monitoring equipment the property owner has to install.
No, I do not see a benefit other than for the state, added regulation and cost for property owners.
In the Willamette Valley, we have few problems with water issues. If you think this is such a great bill, why don’t you have it modified for the areas that are being affected the most, and leave everyone else alone
And yet they just found the biggest water supply under your feet central oregon……..under the central cascade mountains, theres an aquifer with twice the volume as lake mead. Look it up! We have to stop the this horrible government!! Enough is Enough!!!
“Leaving politics out of it…”
And then immediately launches into a highly charged political statement.
Perhaps you have a solution for protecting water resources for everyone, or is this a case of “don’t stop me destroying the future”? It certainly seems like the latter.
I made a clear case. I understand there are a lot of large water users and that in dry counties that is needed for those folks. Individual residential wells that have existed should not be monitored. most wells will not produce more than 5-10 gallons per minute based on the casing or pump size. And again, until the power elite want to ration water to data centers and large tech firms, they have no business going after residential wells. Maybe if they select wells with large casings or bigger pumps in critical ground water areas as a start it would be something we can all agree with. The fact is this bill was trying to get away with something the the authors got caught. And not it’s in trouble- as it should be.
You can’t leave Politics out of it.
It’s the Politicians who came up with the whole idea.
How can you leave politics out of it, when we have had a one sided political party government since 1987 which was Vic atiyeh. Since then it’s been all Democratic Party ruling Oregon. The one sided dems gov has created monster idiots in California, Oregon and Washington ruling the state with their majority. DONT LEAVE POLITICS OUT
Good, finally some oversight of our public resource. Wells have been unaccounted for too long. The only reason to oppose this is if you are taking more water than you are allotted.
The reason to oppose it is that new laws should not retroactively apply to people – and whats next? Will we have to pay for sewer bills when we don’t connect to sewer? Cameras in our bedrooms? Again, for new people after the law passes and big users-I am fine with it. But until they do something about the real offenders, leave the little folks alone.
We have a hidden farm in town. Delicious well water for over 60 years. If we get taxed and eventually forced into the sewer system we won’t be able to live here. My whole life. My whole world is this little farm. I don’t want to die for the beaurocracy.
That’s a ridiculous stretch! A journalist?
scrutinizing the bill is a good thing.
Alerting folks to its existence is a good thing.
Wanting to kill it because it needs work, is short-sighted ignorance
Who the hell does the alloting? I don’t recall any environmental group alloting the amount of land I lost to wildfire this past year. Who are you? My taxes have doubled to finance wildfire response and my property insurance went from $3000 five years ago to $8000 this year because of the new Oregon wildfire map. And now there is a suggestion I don’t pay enough to water my cows. When does this end? There is not one communist bureaucrat in the state of Oregon that will tell you how much money is enough. I want signs too a lot of them. Anyone know where i can get them?
This is a Terrible idea. Just when Trump is cutting Food Stamps and 10’s of Thousands of jobs Nationwide.
This Bill will raise Food cost over 20%, possibly up to 50%, for all Veggies, Fruits, Meat, and Gardening Plants.
Plants and Animals drink water too. We consume those things, if our political leaders have forgotten.
The cost for the Well Fees will be passed down to the Consumers.
What about ALL the water that these data centers use. NDAs are signed about water usage. Water is the most basic human right.
Let’s start with disclosure of water usage, waster and process from these data centers before restriction on people ir farmer.
How can a NDA hold up when you are reporting public water??? Interesting
How many billions of gallons are being drained from the Columbia and other tributaries around the state to support data centers, chip fabrication, and other large industries? Not that I’m opposed to industry but shouldn’t these companies be held to higher standards of water recyling and minimal use? The same applies to housing developments which continue to sprawl across the landscape without required water recycling systems, etc. This is where the issue exists; not with individual private land owners. Those of us, many of us, on home wells understand the need to conserve water particularly in the heat of summer. Its always easier to divert human attention away from the giant culprits when the little folks are threatened. Keep your eyes and ears open!
The oregonian did an expose on this.
Rogoway has been dogging this.
Last I checked there was legislation in the works. Google managed to kill the last attempt through intensive lobbying.
I find it difficult to believe that Agricultural water regulation and home use water are in one bill. The Columbia is drained of water for agriculture each year. If farms tap into the ground water, geezypeezy your stealing from your neighbors. Water is a limited resource, when farmers start taking everyone else’s water, that’s a problem.
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! More government control/over reach and more $ extrortion! NO NO NO
Leave our water and our GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO WATER alone! Enough is enough. Give us back all of the public lands that you’ve taken, and stop funding other country’s wars! Take care of us! Feed our kids, lower the inflation! Stop giving illegals thousands of dollars. Support our farmers and American companies. Fix our homeless problems. Strengthen our communities. Live a day in our shoes! You gotta try to govern the life giving water that comes out of the ground that hard working people are killing themselves to pay for!? They already own it! It’s not yours! Leave it alone!
This is regulation we don’t need. I pay almost $500 a year for the UV light and filters we need to assure cleanliness of our well water. We also spend money to have the wells checked for irregularities. Leave us alone and start regulating the giant (billion dollar companies) using all our water.