Bentz Discusses Water, EAS During Central Oregon Field Hearing

"But the final word over control of water does not have to be surrendered to agencies and judges," noted eastern Oregon’s Cliff Bentz, during a field hearing to address Central Oregon’s Water Supply last week.  "We are here because it's our belief that with your help and insight. We can develop legislation that returns at least some of the control over water to the state and the people who live here."

Bentz wasn’t alone this last week's event.  The chairman on the Subcommittee on Natural Resources Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries was also joined by fellow Oregon representatives Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Val Hoyle, as well as Washington’s Dan Newhouse and Utah’s Celeste Maloy.  The hearing emphasized the need to protect water resources, address water shortages for farmers and ranchers in Central Oregon and across the country and highlighted the importance of reforming the Endangered Species Act.

“Should people and communities whose ancestors were enticed by the government water storage policy to move into this basin when it was a desert be incentivized to reverse course as political winds change and government takes their water away?" Bentz asked.  "This basin is facing this issue head on. First of all, by recognizing that farmers are being damaged by the ESA and then by designing means of reducing and mitigating, against that damage. Solutions include piping of canals, the HCP drought relief support, and congressional involvement such as this hearing today.”

During the field hearing, Bentz said while it may be indirect, the federal government is using the state of Oregon to regulate and manage groundwater.  And he noted such a tactic is not a good thing, nor a precise way to handle such a precious resource.

“The question is, will states step up to reassert their authority over their water? It's been sad to watch Oregon become an agent of the federal government. And used to enforce the Endangered Species Act as to surface and groundwater down in the Klamath, is this basin going to watch the same thing happen here?”

Last week’s subcommittee hearing was titled, 'It All Depends on Water: Examining Efforts to Improve and Protect Central Oregon’s Water Supply.'

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com