OAR 690-410-0080: Water Storage

(1) Policy. Water storage options are an integral part of Oregon’s strategy to enhance the public and private benefits derived from the instream and out-of-stream uses of the state’s water resources. Storage can provide increased water management flexibility and control. Storage can be enhanced through means ranging from natural processes to engineered structures. The state shall facilitate and support project planning and development. The state shall actively pursue funding when storage is determined to be a preferred alternative to meet the water needs of instream and out-of-stream beneficial uses. (2) Principles. Programs to achieve the policy in section (1) of this rule shall be guided by the following principles: (a) Water resource planning in the state shall consider storage along with other available alternatives to meet water management goals; (b) When determining whether storage is a preferred alternative, due regard shall be given to public interest, needs and priorities, and legal, social, economic and environmental factors; (c) The state shall encourage high priority storage projects and facilities through the reservation of unappropriated water for future economic development; (d) Storage shall be planned and implemented in a manner to protect and enhance the public health, safety and welfare, and the state’s natural resources; (e) The state shall encourage enhancement of watershed storage capacity through natural processes using non-structural means; (f) The state shall promote the maximization of benefits derived from storage facilities by evaluating existing and potential storage capacities, authorized uses and operational practices; (g) Criteria for evaluating impacts of storage projects shall include the following factors: (A) Purpose (e.g., type, location and extent of use, benefits); (B) Legal (e.g., state, federal and local legal requirements); (C) Social (e.g., recreational, public support, cultural, historic); (D) Technical (e.g., siting issues, public safety and structural integrity); (E) Financial (e.g., project financing including site costs, cost sharing and repayment, and operating, maintenance and rehabilitation costs); (F) Economic (e.g., project benefit/cost analysis); (G) Land use (e.g., ownership, comprehensive plans, coordination); (H) Environmental (e.g., impacts on streamflows, fisheries, wildlife, wetlands, habitat, biological diversity, water quality and opportunities for mitigation); (I) Other (e.g., direct and indirect impacts). (h) The state shall encourage and give high priority to storage that optimizes instream and out-of-stream public benefits and beneficial uses. Multi-purpose storage is to be preferred over single-purpose storage and upstream storage is to be preferred over downstream storage; (i) The state shall cooperate with federal agencies, local governments and private entities in identifying and protecting high priority storage sites for development of projects. The state shall promote appropriate land use protection for high priority storage sites; (j) The state shall support and participate in programs to finance planning and development of high priority storage; (k) The Water Resources Department shall coordinate interagency recommendations to sponsors, developers or operators of high priority storage projects.