ORS 540.520
Application for change of use, place of use or point of diversion

  • public notice
  • protest
  • hearing
  • exemptions

(1)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

Except when the application is made under ORS 541.327 (Failure or refusal of district to act) or when an application for a temporary transfer is made under ORS 540.523 (Temporary transfer of water right or permit), if the holder of a water use subject to transfer for irrigation, domestic use, manufacturing purposes, or other use, for any reason desires to change the place of use, the point of diversion, or the use made of the water, an application to make such change, as the case may be, shall be filed with the Water Resources Department.

(b)

A holder of a water right certificate that authorizes the storage of water may change the type of use identified in the water right certificate, as described in this section.

(2)

The application required under subsection (1) of this section shall include:

(a)

The name of the owner;

(b)

The previous use of the water;

(c)

A description of the premises upon which the water is used;

(d)

A description of the premises upon which it is proposed to use the water;

(e)

The use that is proposed to be made of the water;

(f)

The reasons for making the proposed change; and

(g)

Evidence that the water has been used over the past five years according to the terms and conditions of the owner’s water right certificate or that the water right is not subject to forfeiture under ORS 540.610 (Use as measure of water right).

(3)

If the application required under subsection (1) of this section is necessary to allow a change in a water right pursuant to ORS 537.348 (Purchase, lease or gift of water right for conversion to in-stream water right), is necessary to complete a project funded under ORS 541.932 (Watershed enhancement project assistance), or is approved by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife as a change that will result in a net benefit to fish and wildlife habitat, the department, at the discretion of the Water Resources Director, may waive or assist the applicant in satisfying the requirements of subsection (2)(c) and (d) of this section. The assistance provided by the department may include, but need not be limited to, development of an application map.

(4)

If the application is to change the point of diversion, the transfer shall include a condition that the holder of the water right provide a proper fish screen at the new point of diversion, if requested by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

(5)

Upon the filing of the application the department shall give notice by publication in a newspaper having general circulation in the area in which the water rights are located, for a period of at least two weeks and not less than one publication each week. The notice shall include the date on which the last notice by publication will occur. The cost of the publication shall be paid by the applicant in advance to the department. In applications for only a change in place of use or for a change in the point of diversion of less than one-fourth mile, and where there are no intervening diversions between the old diversion of the applicant and the proposed new diversion, no newspaper notice need be published. The department shall include notice of such applications in the weekly notice published by the department.

(6)

Within 30 days after the last publication of a newspaper notice of the proposed transfer or the mailing of the department’s weekly notice, whichever is later, any person may file, jointly or severally, with the department, a protest against approval of the application.

(7)

If a timely protest is filed, or in the opinion of the Water Resources Director a hearing is necessary to determine whether the proposed changes as described by the application would result in injury to existing water rights, the department shall hold a hearing on the matter. Notice and conduct of the hearing shall be under the provisions of ORS chapter 183, pertaining to contested cases, and shall be held in the area where the rights are located unless all parties and persons who filed a protest under this subsection stipulate otherwise.

(8)

An application for a change of use under this section is not required if the beneficial use authorized by the water use subject to transfer is irrigation and the owner of the water right uses the water for incidental agricultural, stock watering and other uses related to irrigation use, so long as there is no increase in the rate, duty, total acreage benefited or season of use.

(9)

A water right transfer under subsection (1) of this section is not required for a general industrial use that was not included in a water right certificate issued for a specific industrial use if:

(a)

The quantity of water used for the general industrial use is not greater than the rate allowed in the original water right and not greater than the quantity of water diverted to satisfy the authorized specific use under the original water right;

(b)

The location where the water is to be used for general industrial use was owned by the holder of the original water right at the time the water right permit was issued; and

(c)

The person who makes the change in water use provides the following information to the Water Resources Department:

(A)

The name and mailing address of the person using water under the water right;

(B)

The water right certificate number;

(C)

A description of the location of the industrial facility owned by the holder of the original water right at the time the water right permit was issued; and

(D)

A description of the general industrial use to be made of the water after the change. [Amended by 1983 c.807 §1; 1985 c.673 §94; 1987 c.339 §3; 1989 c.1000 §7; 1995 c.274 §7; 1995 c.490 §2; 1997 c.42 §3; 1999 c.555 §4; 1999 c.664 §2; 2011 c.52 §6; 2021 c.633 §2]

Source: Section 540.520 — Application for change of use, place of use or point of diversion; public notice; protest; hearing; exemptions, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors540.­html.

Notes of Decisions

“Point of diversion” means place designated by permittee in application for water rights and in certificate. Vandehey v. Wheeler, 13 Or App 25, 507 P2d 831 (1973), Sup Ct review denied

540.010
Water districts
540.020
Watermasters
540.030
Water Resources Director
540.045
Watermaster duties
540.050
Appearance of district attorney
540.060
Arrest by watermaster
540.075
Office and equipment for watermaster
540.080
Assistant watermasters
540.100
Division of water among users
540.120
Lien for wages and expense
540.130
Advance payment
540.135
Disposition of funds collected under ORS 540.100 to 540.130 and 540.220
540.140
Insufficiency of water
540.145
Distribution of water
540.150
Rotation in water use
540.155
Periodic review and report regarding department program for Deschutes Basin ground water study area
540.210
Distribution from ditch or reservoir
540.220
Payment of assistant watermaster
540.230
Distribution of waste or seepage water
540.240
Lien for wages and expense
540.250
Lien, notice of intent to claim
540.260
Lien for wages and expense
540.270
Distribution from irrigation districts and improvement companies
540.310
Ditches and canals
540.320
Noncompliance with requirements
540.330
Reservoirs
540.340
Reservoir and diversion dam
540.355
Inspection, evaluation and assessment of hydraulic structures
540.410
Delivery of reservoir water
540.420
Jointly owned ditches
540.430
Nonpayment by ditch co-owner
540.435
Installation of totalizing measuring device
540.440
Owner to clear weeds from ditch right of way
540.443
Definitions for ORS 540.443 to 540.491
540.446
Dams not subject to ORS 540.443 to 540.491
540.449
Construction plan approval
540.452
Removal plan approval
540.455
Dam inspections and analysis
540.458
Notice for owner corrective action to address safety issues
540.461
Plan and time frame for corrective action
540.464
Examinations, inspections and reports by specialists
540.467
Owner action to address maintenance issues
540.470
Contested case hearings
540.473
Application for injunction
540.476
Action to declare dam public nuisance
540.479
Dam owner responsibilities
540.482
Emergency action plan for dam with high hazard rating
540.485
Actual or potential dam failure
540.488
Water Resources Commission duties and powers
540.491
Dam owner or operator liability
540.505
Definitions
540.510
Appurtenancy of water to premises
540.520
Application for change of use, place of use or point of diversion
540.523
Temporary transfer of water right or permit
540.524
Substitution of supplemental water right from ground water source for primary water right from surface water source
540.525
Installation of fish screening or by-pass device as prerequisite for transfer of point of diversion
540.530
Order authorizing change of use, place of use or point of diversion
540.531
Transfer of surface water point of diversion to ground water
540.532
Request for change in point of diversion to reflect historical use
540.533
Application for exchange of water
540.535
Notice of application for exchange
540.537
Order allowing exchange
540.539
Exchange subject to beneficial use requirements
540.541
Delivery and use of water under exchange
540.543
Regulation of headgates when water provided by exchange
540.545
Transfer of water rights following county acquisition of land
540.560
Order changing description of land to which water right is appurtenant
540.570
Temporary transfers within districts
540.572
Application of certificated water elsewhere within district
540.574
Petition for approval of transfer
540.576
Notice of petition
540.578
Filing of protest
540.580
Permanent transfer of place of use of water within district
540.585
Temporary transfers within Deschutes River Basin
540.587
Report on implementation of temporary transfer provisions
540.589
Ratification of prior transfer of water rights to irrigation district
540.610
Use as measure of water right
540.612
Exemption from forfeiture
540.621
Cancellation of abandoned water right upon request of owner
540.631
Cancellation of forfeited water right
540.641
Protest of cancellation
540.650
Issuance of new water right certificate for water rights not canceled
540.660
Affidavit of watermaster that circumstances prevent use of water right in accordance with terms of certificate
540.670
Effect of cancellation of primary water right on supplemental right
540.710
Interference with headgate, or use of water denied by watermaster or other authority
540.720
Unauthorized use or waste of water
540.730
Obstruction interfering with access to or use of works
540.740
Injunctive relief against action of watermaster
540.750
Injunction suits
540.990
Criminal penalties
540.995
Civil penalties
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