Or. Admin. Code § 690-093-0110 - Water Dedicated Instream for Certain Above-Ground Storage Facilities

(1) For the purposes of this section "dedicated instream" has the same meaning as "protected instream" as defined in OAR 690-093-0020(13).

(2) The recipient of a grant for the development of a new or expanded above-ground storage facility (reservoir) that impounds surface water on a perennial stream; diverts water from a stream that supports state or federally listed sensitive, threatened or endangered fish species; or diverts more than 500 acre-feet of water annually must dedicate 25 percent of the newly developed water to instream use.

(3) To meet the requirements of subsection (2) of this section, dedicated water from projects may come from any combination of newly developed water and other sources and may be released or transferred instream at other locations in the tributary if the Department determines as provided under ORS 540.530 that the alternate location would not injure existing water rights and, in consultation with the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, determines that the alternate location would provide greater or equal environmental benefit. The Water Resources Department, in consultation with the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, shall determine the timing of the flows to maximize instream benefits in a manner consistent with public health and safety.

(a) Other sources of water as identified in this subsection include but are not limited to water released from another reservoir and protected under a secondary water right for instream use or a water right transferred instream under OAR chapter 690 Division 77 through a permanent instream transfer or a time limited instream transfer that has a term that is consistent with subsection 3(c) of this section.

(b) To establish that a project complies with subsection (2) of this section, the grant recipient may include water dedicated to instream use as a result of the conditions of federal, state or local permits for the project.

(c) Other sources of water to meet the requirement of subsection (2) of this section shall be legally protected instream for the life of the project for which grant funds were used.

(d) The Department shall protect water dedicated to instream use under this subsection consistent with the priority of the dedicated water source.

(4) A storage water right that is using stored water releases to meet the requirement of subsection (2) of this section, shall be conditioned to achieve the following:

(a) Meet the dedication requirement with stored water releases that are protected under a separate secondary water right;

(b) Annually report, on a schedule determined by the Department, the maximum volume of newly developed water stored in the funded reservoir, including newly developed water present in the reservoir during the immediate past storage season. Twenty-five percent of this volume equals the dedication requirement;

(c) If the dedication requirement is not fully met from other sources, the funded reservoir shall release and the Department shall protect the balance of the water necessary to meet the dedication requirement; and

(d) Demonstrate that the dedication requirement has been met.

(5) For an existing storage permit subject to the requirements of subsection (2) of this section, the grant agreement shall be conditioned to meet the requirements of subsections (3) and (4) of this section.

Notes

Or. Admin. Code § 690-093-0110

WRD 6-2015, f. & cert. ef. 7/2/2015

Stat. Auth.: ORS 541.651 - 541.696

Stats. Implemented: ORS 541.651 - 541.696