OCA Watching Water Issue In Salem

While just a concept at this point, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association is watching a water topic with great interest during this short session.  Jerome Rosa with the OCA said anytime water law is addressed, it becomes a complicated issue.  He told the Washington Ag Network this Legislative Concept, or LC, would confirm that the state’s Department of Water Resources has the authority to allow the transfer of storage water rights.

“It’s an issue that’s important across the state as districts and irrigators modernize their systems.  It’s a bill that should have been really a relatively simple legislative fix but unfortunately when you get into water law it ended up being a 27 page legislative concept.”

Rosa said it’s fairly early in the game on this proposal, and the OCA hasn’t taken an official stance at this point.  He added while there are several parts of the LC that would be good for cattle producers across Oregon, the OCA wants to make sure there’s no unintended consequences if such an idea becomes law.

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