We, as well as many water right permit holders and Certified Water Right Examiners, have had October 1st circled in red on our calendars for many years. Historically, the Oregon Water Resources Department (“OWRD”) has set the deadline for Permittees to complete perfection of their water right on October 1st of the applicable year and the corresponding statutorily set deadline to submit the Claim of Beneficial Use (“COBU”) deadline the following year. Consequently, in our office, the weeks and months leading up to October 1st have typically been marked by a flurry of activity to assist our clients and consultants in complying with or extending these completion and COBU deadlines.
However, in 2008 OWRD changed the deadline language in water right permits to require completion five years from the date of permit issuance, which means October 1, 2014, and every subsequent October 1, will be just another normal day in the water rights world! We encourage you to take a fresh look at any permits issued since 2008 to confirm completion and COBU deadlines.
Additionally, as many of you may know, OWRD updated its COBU form in July of 2013. Most notably a submission fee will now be charged for COBUs for transfers with a priority date after July 8, 1987. Take care to ensure you are using the most current version! Should you be looking for these forms on OWRD’s website, please note that they have been relocated to a special CWRE section per the link below:
Good luck with today’s deadlines and remember “We do everything water!”
