July 20, 1987 - July 20, 2007

Milestones

• July 20, 1987 - Oregon’s Instream Water Right Act is passed.
  
  
• 1988 - Oregon Supreme Court rules that new water use permits may not be issued below flow levels needed in state scenic waterways.  Diack v. City of Portland.
  
  
• 1989 - 500^th Minimum Perennial Streamflows converted to instream water right.
  
  
• 1990 to 1992 - Scenic Waterway Flows adopted by the Oregon Water Resource Commission to preserve the free-flowing character of the state's scenic waterways in quantities necessary for recreation, fish and wildlife uses.
  
  
• 1993 - Oregon Water Trust established; first water trust in the nation.
  
  
• 1994 - 1^st Instream Lease approved.
  
  
• 1995 - 1^st Time-Limited Instream Transfer approved.
  
  
• 1996 - Deschutes River Conservancy established.
  
  
• 1996 - 1^st Allocation of Conserved Water approved.
  
  
• 1997 - 1^st Permanent Instream Transfer approved.
  
  
• 1997 - 100 cfs permanently restored instream, through transfers and allocations of conserved water.
  
  
• 1997 - Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds established.
  
  
• 1998 - 900^th State agency applied instream water rights issued.
  
  
• 1998 - 100^th Instream Lease approved.
  
  
• 1998 - 1^st Instream Lease approved related to the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
  
  
• 2001 - Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board funds emergency drought instream leases.  OWEB also funded drought leases in 2003 and 2005.
  
  
• 2001 - 100 cfs temporarily restored instream, through leasing and time-limited transfers (this is in addition to over 100 cfs permanently restored through transfers).
  
  
• 2001 - Legislature authorizes Split-Season Instream Use Leasing.
  
  
• 2002 - 1^st Split-Season Instream Use Lease approved.
  
  
• 2002 - Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust established.
  
  
• 2003 - 500^th Instream Lease approved.
  
  
• 2006 - 500 cfs temporarily restored instream, through leases and time-limited transfers.
  
  
• 2006 - Oregon Water Trust awarded Stewardship and Conservation Award by the Oregon Water Resources Department.
  
  
• 2007 - 1,000^th Instream Lease approved.
  
  
• 2007 - Deschutes River Conservancy awarded Stewardship and Conservation Award by the Oregon Water Resources Department.