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District Transfer

Irrigation or other districts meeting qualifying criteria may permanently change a place of use within their district boundaries using a streamlined transfer process. In addition, districts may temporarily change for a single season, the place of use, type of use in a right to store water, point of diversion to facilitate a change in place of use, the point of a surface water diversion to a groundwater appropriation, or the type of use from a primary water right to a supplemental water right.  In some cases, and with restrictions, districts using this program can make the changes before an authorizing order is issued.

Purpose

To allow districts to permanently transfer irrigation places of use or make temporary transfers within district boundaries. The district transfer process is a streamlined process compared to the regular transfer processes, but has specific limitations associated with it.

Limitations

Use of the district transfer program is limited to an irrigation district formed under ORS Chapter 545, a drainage district formed under ORS Chapter 547, a water improvement district formed under ORS Chapter 522, a water control district formed under ORS Chapter 553, or a corporation formed under ORS Chapter 554.

Types

  1. District Permanent Transfers: Permanently changing the place of use.
  2. District Temporary Transfers: Temporarily changing the place of use, type of use in a right to store water, point of diversion to facilitate a change in place of use, the point of a surface water diversion to a ground water appropriation, or the type of use of a primary water right to a supplemental water right.
  3. Pilot Project Temporary Transfers: Allows 15 district to temporarily change the place of use of water rights for one irrigation season without filing a water right transfer application. (Scheduled to sunset on January 2, 2022.)
  4. District Permanent Transfers of Water Right for Nonuse: Permanently changing the place of use of a water right subject to forfeiture prior to five consecutive years of nonuse.