Groundwater Administrative Areas / Critical Groundwater Areas

There are 22 designated groundwater administrative areas around the state with differing levels of restriction.  These include critical groundwater areas (CGWAs), groundwater limited/classified areas, and areas withdrawn from further appropriation.  Some areas have time-limited permit restrictions for uses requiring water rights.  Other areas are closed to new appropriations or have well construction requirements to protect senior water rights.  Staff monitor these areas to ensure that the restrictions adequately protect the groundwater resource and existing users.

Department hydrogeologists also provide technical input for mitigation opportunities in the Deschutes, Grande Ronde, and Klamath Basins to protect scenic waterways and instream flows.  The mitigation program in the Deschutes Basin is designed to allow development of groundwater using mitigation credits to maintain or improve streamflow.

Critical Groundwater Area Reports for the Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Critical Areas

The following reports provide informational summaries of water level change and water use in the Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Critical Areas.

• 2021 Butter Creek Report
• 2022 Butter Creek Report
• 2023 Butter Creek Report
  
• 2021 Stage Gulch Report
• 2022 Stage Gulch Report
• 2023 Stage Gulch Report
  

Critical Groundwater Allocation Table for the Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Critical Areas

The following tables are an informational summary of allocations in the Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Critical Area for 2020; the orders received by each water right holder in August of the previous year are the legal allocations for each water right holder.

• 2020 Butter Creek Allocation Summary Table
• 2021 Butter Creek Allocation Summary Table
  
• 2022 Butter Creek Allocation Summary Table
• 2023 Butter Creek Allocation Summary Table
• 2024 Butter Creek Allocation Summary Table

• 2020 Stage Gulch Allocation Summary Table
• 2021 Stage Gulch Allocation Summary Table
• 2022 Stage Gulch Allocation Summary Table
• 2023 Stage Gulch Allocation Summary Table
• 2024 Stage Gulch Allocation Summary Table

Forms for the Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Critical Areas

Below are water use allocation request forms and pumpage reporting forms for the Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Critical Areas. Hard copies are mailed to water right holders on June 1st each year.

Allocation Request Forms

• 2022 Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Allocation Request Form (fillable)
  
• 2022 Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Allocation Request Form
• 2024 Butter Creek Allocation Request Form
  
• 2024 Stage Gulch Allocation Request Form
  

Pumpage Reporting Forms

• 2022 Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Pumpage Report Form (fillable)
  
• 2022 Butter Creek and Stage Gulch Pumpage Report Form
• 2024 Butter Creek Pumpage Report Form
  

Table of Oregon's Groundwater Administrative Areas, with links to OARs