Support Strong Rules to Stabilize Harney Basin Groundwater Levels

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Support Adoption of Strong Rules to Stabilize Groundwater Levels in the Harney Basin

The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) recently issued proposed rules to establish a critical groundwater area in the Harney Basin that would ultimately allow the agency to limit pumping to achieve stable groundwater levels.

The Harney Basin supports redband trout and a groundwater-dependent lake home to an endemic crawfish, and includes the world famous Malheur National Wildlife Refuge — a vital resting, breeding, and nesting area for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds and wildlife along the Pacific Flyway.

Unfortunately, the basin continues to experience significant groundwater declines due to groundwater pumping, primarily for irrigation to grow alfalfa, with the volume of water removed from the ground far outpacing the amount of available water to replenish underground reserves, known as recharge.

Since 1980, groundwater pumping has reduced the amount of groundwater-supported springs and streams in the Harney Basin lowlands by more than 40 percent. There's also been a significant decrease in groundwater-supported native vegetation in the Harney Basin, meaning native vegetation that wildlife and some domestic animals rely upon is drying up due to groundwater pumping.

If enacted, the proposed OWRD rules set the stage for stabilizing groundwater levels within the Harney Basin by 2058. While stabilizing groundwater levels would require adjustments for many irrigators in the basin, we are encouraged this approach will provide the basin with a more sustainable future.

PLEASE ACT NOW! Comments are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13th.

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Subject: Please Adopt Strong Rules to Stabilize Groundwater Levels in the Harney Basin

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Dear Oregon Water Resources Department, I am writing about the rules the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) recently proposed to address groundwater declines in the Harney Basin. I support stabilizing groundwater levels in the Harney Basin, which would provide the basin with a more sustainable future and help prevent additional impacts to groundwater dependent ecosystems such as springs, streams, wetlands, and native vegetation. It would also reduce the number of existing domestic wells that would be dried up due to irrigation pumping. I offer the following additional comments: 1.	I place a high value on the springs, streams, and other groundwater dependent ecosystems in the Harney Basin, and all of the fish, wildlife, and plants that rely on these ecosystems. 2.	These groundwater dependent ecosystems have already been significantly degraded from the over-pumping of groundwater. Please ensure that these systems are protected in the Division 512 rules for the Harney Basin. 3.	I support the requirement in the Proposed Rules for water use measurement and reporting on all non-exempt groundwater rights in the basin. 4.	OWRD should not adopt rules that would dry up additional existing domestic wells, especially when it has no viable program in place to help these residents who will lose their drinking water. 5.	Please consider strengthening the Proposed Rules by adopting a tighter schedule for imposing the lower pumping amounts ("Permissible Total Withdrawals"). I encourage a shorter timeline than the proposed 30 years to achieve stable groundwater levels in light of the major declines that have already occurred, and the significant impacts to groundwater dependent ecosystems and domestic wells that this has already caused. Thank you for your kind attention and consideration of my comments.

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