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Harney (Division 512) Rulemaking

The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) will amend OAR-690-512 (Malheur Lake Basin Program Rules). These rules govern surface water and groundwater use and allocation within the Malheur Lake Administrative Basin. The amendment to the rules will designate portions of the Malheur Lake Basin Administrative Boundaries as a Critical Ground Water Area (CGWA) due to groundwater declines within the basin. The Division 512 update will follow the framework outlined in OAR-690-010 to designate a CGWA. A basin designated as a CGWA allows OWRD to implement corrective control provisions through a contested case process to reduce existing groundwater use in the basin. Additionally, the Division 512 rules will be amended to include designating the basin a Serious Water Management Problem Area (SWMPA). A SWMPA designation requires the installation of water use measuring devices and reporting water use data to the OWRD.


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Previous Public Hearing/Comment Periods

Rulemaking Petition – Chapter 690 Division 512

On September 12, the Water Resources Commission received a rulemaking petition for OAR 690-512. Under the state's Administrative Procedure Act, ORS 183.390 and Uniform Rule 137-001-0070, the Water Resources Commission has 90 days to either initiate rulemaking consistent with petition language, or to deny the petition. The Department accepted public comments on the rulemaking petition through 5 p.m. on October 7, 2025.

A public hearing on the rulemaking petition was conducted during a Special Water Resources Commission meeting on October 3, 2025.

Rulemaking Petition

Agency Memo - Technical Evaluation of Petition to Amend Division 512

Agency Proposed – Chapter 690 Division 512

The Oregon Water Resources Department extended the public comment period for the proposed OAR 690 Division 512 rulemaking pertaining to groundwater management in the Malheur Lake administrative basin. The public comment period closed October 7, 2025, at 5 p.m.

Because the topics are connected, comments submitted on the rulemaking petition were also entered into the record as comments on the agency's proposed Division 512 rules.

Public hearings were scheduled for June 23 through 26, August 4, and August 5, 2025, for members of the public to submit oral comments.

Pre-hearing information sessions were offered prior to the June public hearings. Public comments were not accepted at these sessions but were accepted at the public hearing afterward.

Public Comments


Groundwater Report
OWRD will be accepting public comment on the Groundwater Report until the end of the Division 512 public comment period. The report, as well as the memo from OWRD's director Ivan Gall, are viewable below.

Groundwater Report for the Harney Basin Critical Groundwater Area (CGWA) Rulemaking 
Memo from Director Gall
Final 512 Critical Groundwater Area Report
If you wish to submit a public comment about the Groundwater Report, please email:
wrd_dl_harneyreportcomments@water.oregon.gov

Public Hearings and Informational Sessions

2022 Public Meeting – November 3, 2022

Seneca Public Meeting Presentation
Seneca Public Meeting Agenda
Seneca Public Meeting Recording ​

2025 Information Sessions and Public Hearing Dates, Times, and Locations 

Monday, June 23, 2025
Information Session: View Recording  
Public Hearing: View Recording  
Location: The Pine Room, 543 W Monroe Street, Burns, OR 97720
Meeting type: In-person
________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Information Session: View Recording
Public Hearing: View Recording 
Location: Crane Store and Cafe, Gas and RV Camping, 57466 OR-78, Crane, OR 97732
Meeting type: In-person
________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Information Session: View Recording
Public Hearing: View Recording
Location: Hotel Diamond, 49130 Main Street, Diamond, OR 97722
Meeting type: In-person
_________________________________________________________________

Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Information Session: View Recording
Public Hearing: View Recording  
Location: Suntex Elementary School, 68178 Silver Creek Road, Riley, OR 97758
Meeting type: In-person
_________________________________________________________________

Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Information Session: View Recording  
Public Hearing: View Recording
Location: Double O School, 66077 Double O Road, Hines, OR 97738
Meeting type: In-person 
_________________________________________________________________

Thursday, June 26, 2025
Information Session: View Recording
Public Hearing: View Recording
Location: Seneca Elementary School, 101 Park Avenue, Seneca, OR 97873
Meeting type: In-person
_________________________________________________________________

Monday, August 4, 2025
Public Hearing: View Recording
Location: Seneca Elementary School, 101 Park Avenue, Seneca, OR 97873
Meeting type: In-person

_________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, August 5, 2025 
Public Hearing: View Recording
Location: Harney County Community Center, 478 N. Broadway Avenue, Burns, OR 97720
Meeting type: Hybrid 
_________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, August 5, 2025 
Public Hearing: View Recording
Location: Harney County Community Center, 478 N. Broadway Avenue, Burns, OR 97720
Meeting type: Hybrid
​
_________________________________________________________________

Friday, October 3, 2025 
Petition Hearing – Special Water Resources Commission Meeting: View Recording
​​Meeting type: Virtual

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Discussion Groups 

Discussion Groups are an informal opportunity, open to all Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) members and the public, to discuss options and considerations for topics tied to crafting the Harney Groundwater rules.
 
The goal of the discussion groups is to better access and incorporate the collective wisdom of the RAC and public in terms of crafting an approach to groundwater management in the Harney Basin.

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September 9, 2024 


September 16, 2024  



September 17, 2024  

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September 23, 2024

Agenda​
September 16 ​Scenario Options
September 23 Model Revision Slides​​​​

October 7, 2024

Agenda
October 7 Meeting Summary and Slides
October 7 Recording

October 21, 2024

Agenda
October 21 Meeting Summary​

Monitoring and Measuring Success​ (Word Doc)

October 28, 2024

Agenda
Discussion Guide
October 28 Meeting Summary​

November 4, 2024

Ag​​enda

November 18, 2024

Ag​​enda​
​November 18 Meeting Summary
November 18 Meeting PowerPoint​

January 6, 2025  


This meeting has been postponed until January 22, 2025. Please see the next menu below for that information.

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RAC 12 Extension Meeting

On January 29, OWRD hosted a virtual extension to the twelfth Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) for Division 512. This meeting was an extension of the RAC Number 12 to discuss Serious Water Management Problem Area rule language and classification rule language.

Div 512 RAC Number 12 Virtual Extension Agenda​
Div 512 RAC Number 12 Virtual Extension Recording

Div 512 RAC Number 12 Materials - January 22, 2025​



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Informational Session 1 - Groundwater Study - July 27, 2023
Informational Session 1 Video
Groundwater Study Presentation Video​ (video was pre-recorded for the Informational Session)


​​​​​Informational Session 2 - Classification - August 3, 2023
Informational Session 2 Video 
Classification PowerPoint​

Informational Session 3 - Serious Water Management Problem Areas - August 10, 2023
Informational Session 3 Video​ 
Serious Water Management Problem Areas PowerPoint

Informational Session 4 - Voluntary Agreement - August 17, 2023
Informational Session 4 Video
​Voluntary Agreements PowerPoint​

Informational Session 5​ - Critical Groundwater Area - August 24, 2023
Informational Session 5 Video
Critical Groundwater Area Presentation Video
Critical Groundwater Area PowerPoint​​

If you have questions about this rulemaking, please contact Kelly Meinz.
Phone Number: 971-718-7087