ORS 537.535: Unlawful use or appropriation of ground water, including well construction and operation.
Edition: 2025 EditionEffective: 2026-01-01Last verified: 2026-09-07
(1) No person or public agency shall use or attempt to use any ground water, construct or attempt to construct any well or other means of developing and securing ground water or operate or permit the operation of any well owned or controlled by such person or public agency except upon compliance with ORS 537.505 to 537.795 and 537.992 and any applicable order or rule adopted by the Water Resources Commission under ORS 537.505 to 537.795 and 537.992. (2) Except for those uses exempted under ORS 537.545, the use of ground water for any purpose, without a permit issued under ORS 537.625 or registration under ORS 537.605, is an unlawful appropriation of ground water. [1955 c.708 §4; 1957 c.341 §5; subsection (2) enacted as 1961 c.668 §2; 1985 c.673 §47]
Administrative rules citing this section
- OAR 690-013-0005: Introduction — implements
- OAR 690-013-0010: Definitions — implements
- OAR 690-013-0030: Eligibility to Petition — implements
- OAR 690-013-0050: Individual Applications — implements
- OAR 690-013-0070: Interim Transfers — implements
- OAR 690-013-0100: District Petitions — implements
- OAR 690-013-0110: Requests for Additional Information — implements
- OAR 690-013-0150: District Shall Certify Petition — implements
- OAR 690-013-0310: Processing of Petition — implements
- OAR 690-013-0350: Field Verification of the Petition and Map — implements
- OAR 690-190-0005: Purpose and Applicability — implements
- OAR 690-190-0010: Definitions — implements
- OAR 690-190-0010: Definitions — authority
- OAR 690-190-0100: Recording Requirements — implements
- OAR 690-190-0100: Recording Requirements — authority
- OAR 690-190-0200: Compliance and Enforcement — implements
- OAR 690-190-0200: Compliance and Enforcement — authority
- OAR 690-200-0005: Basis for Regulatory Authority — implements
- OAR 690-200-0005: Basis for Regulatory Authority — authority
- OAR 690-200-0020: General Statement About the Standards — implements
- OAR 690-200-0020: General Statement About the Standards — authority
- OAR 690-200-0021: Special Standards — implements
- OAR 690-200-0021: Special Standards — authority
- OAR 690-200-0027: Restrictions on Water Supply Well Construction and Use in Critical Groundwater Areas or Areas Withdrawn by Commission Order — implements
- OAR 690-200-0027: Restrictions on Water Supply Well Construction and Use in Critical Groundwater Areas or Areas Withdrawn by Commission Order — authority
- OAR 690-200-0028: Designated Special Area Standards — implements
- OAR 690-200-0028: Designated Special Area Standards — authority
- OAR 690-200-0046: Perched Ground Water — implements
- OAR 690-200-0046: Perched Ground Water — authority
- OAR 690-200-0050: Definitions — implements
- OAR 690-200-0050: Definitions — authority
- OAR 690-205-0005: License or Permit Required to Construct Water Supply Wells — implements
- OAR 690-205-0005: License or Permit Required to Construct Water Supply Wells — authority
- OAR 690-205-0010: Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination — implements
- OAR 690-205-0010: Water Supply Well Constructor License Examination — authority
- OAR 690-205-0020: Water Supply Well Constructor’s License, Experience Requirements, Trainee Card and Temporary Authorization — implements
- OAR 690-205-0020: Water Supply Well Constructor’s License, Experience Requirements, Trainee Card and Temporary Authorization — authority
- OAR 690-205-0025: Term of Water Well Constructor License and License Fees — implements
- OAR 690-205-0025: Term of Water Well Constructor License and License Fees — authority
- OAR 690-205-0045: Continuing Education Requirement — implements
- OAR 690-205-0045: Continuing Education Requirement — authority
- OAR 690-205-0175: Landowner Well Construction Permit, Fee and Bond — implements
- OAR 690-205-0175: Landowner Well Construction Permit, Fee and Bond — authority
- OAR 690-205-0200: Water Supply Well Construction Notice Required (Start Card) — implements
- OAR 690-205-0200: Water Supply Well Construction Notice Required (Start Card) — authority
- OAR 690-205-0205: Start Card Reporting Requirements — implements
- OAR 690-205-0205: Start Card Reporting Requirements — authority
- OAR 690-205-0210: Well Report Required (Water Supply Well Log) — implements
- OAR 690-205-0210: Well Report Required (Water Supply Well Log) — authority
- OAR 690-210-0130: Sealing of Wells in Unconsolidated Formations Without Significant Clay Beds — implements
- OAR 690-210-0130: Sealing of Wells in Unconsolidated Formations Without Significant Clay Beds — authority
- OAR 690-210-0140: Sealing of Water Supply Wells in Unconsolidated Formations with Significant Clay Beds — implements
- OAR 690-210-0140: Sealing of Water Supply Wells in Unconsolidated Formations with Significant Clay Beds — authority
- OAR 690-210-0150: Sealing of Water Supply Wells in Consolidated Formations — implements
- OAR 690-210-0150: Sealing of Water Supply Wells in Consolidated Formations — authority
- OAR 690-210-0155: Additional Standards for Artesian Water Supply Wells — implements
- OAR 690-210-0155: Additional Standards for Artesian Water Supply Wells — authority
- OAR 690-210-0160: Additional Standards for Filter Pack Wells with Surface Casing — implements
- OAR 690-210-0160: Additional Standards for Filter Pack Wells with Surface Casing — authority
- OAR 690-210-0170: Additional Standards for Filter Pack Wells without Surface Casing — implements
- OAR 690-210-0170: Additional Standards for Filter Pack Wells without Surface Casing — authority
- OAR 690-210-0180: Additional Standards for Driven or Jetted Wells — implements
- OAR 690-210-0180: Additional Standards for Driven or Jetted Wells — authority
- OAR 690-210-0190: Steel Casing — implements
- OAR 690-210-0190: Steel Casing — authority
- OAR 690-210-0220: Plastic Casing Joints — implements
- OAR 690-210-0220: Plastic Casing Joints — authority
- OAR 690-210-0230: Inner Casing — implements
- OAR 690-210-0230: Inner Casing — authority
- OAR 690-210-0240: Casing Shall be Centered — implements
- OAR 690-210-0240: Casing Shall be Centered — authority
- OAR 690-210-0270: Pitless Well Adapters and Units — implements
- OAR 690-210-0270: Pitless Well Adapters and Units — authority
- OAR 690-210-0280: Access Ports, Dedicated Measuring Tubes and Airlines — implements
- OAR 690-210-0280: Access Ports, Dedicated Measuring Tubes and Airlines — authority
- OAR 690-210-0290: Liner Pipe — implements
- OAR 690-210-0290: Liner Pipe — authority
- OAR 690-210-0320: Methods of Placement of Cement Grout or Concrete — implements
- OAR 690-210-0320: Methods of Placement of Cement Grout or Concrete — authority
- OAR 690-210-0380: Disinfection of a Well — implements
- OAR 690-210-0380: Disinfection of a Well — authority
- OAR 690-210-0400: Construction of Dug Wells — implements
- OAR 690-210-0400: Construction of Dug Wells — authority
- OAR 690-210-0410: Buried Slab Construction — implements
- OAR 690-210-0410: Buried Slab Construction — authority
- OAR 690-210-0420: Surface Curbing — implements
- OAR 690-210-0420: Surface Curbing — authority
- OAR 690-215-0005: Prevention of Groundwater Contamination, Health Hazard, and Waste — implements
- OAR 690-215-0005: Prevention of Groundwater Contamination, Health Hazard, and Waste — authority
- OAR 690-215-0017: Down Well Continuous Water Treatment and Back-Siphon Prevention Devices — implements
- OAR 690-215-0017: Down Well Continuous Water Treatment and Back-Siphon Prevention Devices — authority
- OAR 690-215-0055: Well Identification Label Maintenance — implements
- OAR 690-215-0055: Well Identification Label Maintenance — authority
- OAR 690-215-0060: Access Ports, Dedicated Measuring Tubes and Airlines — implements
- OAR 690-215-0060: Access Ports, Dedicated Measuring Tubes and Airlines — authority
- OAR 690-215-0070: Pressure Gauge — implements
- OAR 690-215-0070: Pressure Gauge — authority
- OAR 690-215-0201: Dedicated Measuring Tube — implements
- OAR 690-215-0201: Dedicated Measuring Tube — authority
- OAR 690-220-0050: Abandonment of Uncased Wells — implements
- OAR 690-220-0050: Abandonment of Uncased Wells — authority
- OAR 690-225-0020: Investigation of Alleged Violations — implements
- OAR 690-225-0020: Investigation of Alleged Violations — authority
- OAR 690-225-0030: Enforcement Actions — implements
- OAR 690-225-0030: Enforcement Actions — authority
- OAR 690-225-0110: Schedule of Civil Penalties — implements
- OAR 690-225-0110: Schedule of Civil Penalties — authority
- OAR 690-240-0005: Introduction — implements
- OAR 690-240-0005: Introduction — authority
- OAR 690-240-0006: Special Standards — implements
- OAR 690-240-0006: Special Standards — authority
- OAR 690-240-0010: Definitions — implements
- OAR 690-240-0010: Definitions — authority
- OAR 690-240-0024: Well Identification Label — implements
- OAR 690-240-0024: Well Identification Label — authority
- OAR 690-240-0026: Well Identification Label Maintenance — implements
- OAR 690-240-0026: Well Identification Label Maintenance — authority
- OAR 690-240-0060: Monitoring Well Constructor License Examination — implements
- OAR 690-240-0060: Monitoring Well Constructor License Examination — authority
- OAR 690-240-0065: Monitoring Well Constructor License, Experience Requirements, Trainee Card and Temporary Authorization — implements
- OAR 690-240-0065: Monitoring Well Constructor License, Experience Requirements, Trainee Card and Temporary Authorization — authority
- OAR 690-240-0070: Terms of Monitoring Well Constructor License and License Fees — implements
- OAR 690-240-0070: Terms of Monitoring Well Constructor License and License Fees — authority
- OAR 690-240-0210: Continuing Education Requirement — implements
- OAR 690-240-0210: Continuing Education Requirement — authority
- OAR 690-240-0340: Landowner Well Construction Permit, Fee and Bond — authority
- OAR 690-240-0375: Monitoring Well Construction Notice Required (Start Card) — implements
- OAR 690-240-0375: Monitoring Well Construction Notice Required (Start Card) — authority
- OAR 690-240-0385: Start Card Reporting Requirements — implements
- OAR 690-240-0385: Start Card Reporting Requirements — authority
- OAR 690-240-0395: Monitoring Well Report Required (Monitoring Well Log) — implements
- OAR 690-240-0395: Monitoring Well Report Required (Monitoring Well Log) — authority
- OAR 690-240-0410: Monitoring Well Construction: General — implements
- OAR 690-240-0410: Monitoring Well Construction: General — authority
- OAR 690-240-0560: Investigation of Alleged Violations — implements
- OAR 690-240-0560: Investigation of Alleged Violations — authority
- OAR 690-240-0580: Enforcement Actions — implements
- OAR 690-240-0580: Enforcement Actions — authority
- OAR 690-240-0640: Schedule of Civil Penalties — implements
- OAR 690-240-0640: Schedule of Civil Penalties — authority
- OAR 690-260-0030: Notice of Violation — implements
- OAR 690-260-0030: Notice of Violation — authority
- OAR 690-260-0040: Classification of Violations — implements
- OAR 690-260-0040: Classification of Violations — authority
- OAR 690-260-0060: Notice of Assessment of Civil Penalty — implements
- OAR 690-260-0060: Notice of Assessment of Civil Penalty — authority
- OAR 690-300-0010: Definitions — authority
- OAR 690-410-0070: Water Allocation — authority
- OAR 690-507-0610: Butter Creek Critical Groundwater Area (CGWA): Purpose — implements
- OAR 690-507-0620: Butter Creek CGWA: Definitions — implements
- OAR 690-507-0630: Butter Creek CGWA: General Requirements — implements
- OAR 690-507-0635: Butter Creek CGWA: Water Users Exempt from Division Requirements — implements
- OAR 690-507-0640: Butter Creek CGWA: Duties of Water Users — implements
- OAR 690-507-0647: Butter Creek CGWA: New Subarea Boundaries — implements
- OAR 690-507-0650: Butter Creek CGWA: Sustainable Annual Yield — implements
- OAR 690-507-0660: Butter Creek CGWA: Method for Determining the Sustainable Annual Yield — implements
- OAR 690-507-0670: Butter Creek CGWA: Distribution of Sustainable Annual Yield — implements
- OAR 690-507-0680: Butter Creek (CGWA) Process of Periodic Review of Sustainable Annual Yield — implements
- OAR 690-507-0690: Butter Creek (CGWA) Annual Reporting — implements
This rule cites
- ORS 537.505 — resolved
- 537.795 — resolved
- 537.992 — resolved
- ORS 537.545 — resolved
- ORS 537.625 — resolved
- ORS 537.605 — resolved
Cited by
- ORS 536.900: Civil penalties; imposition.
- ORS 537.387: Limitations on water use related to Cannabis plants.
- ORS 537.990: Criminal penalties.
- ORS 537.992: Civil penalties; schedule of penalties; rules.
- ORS 540.531: Transfer of surface water point of diversion to ground water; requirements; priority; mitigation measures; return to surface water diversion; rules.
- OAR 690-225-0060: Change in Enforcement Status
- OAR 690-240-0610: Change in Enforcement Status
- OAR 690-260-0040: Classification of Violations
- OAR 690-260-0060: Notice of Assessment of Civil Penalty
Official source: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors537.html