What is the Blue Water Footprint? Background The Blue Water Footprint measures how much freshwater is taken from rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and underground aquifers for human use. It is different from green water, which refers to rainwater stored in the soil, and grey water, which represents used or other water requiring treatment. The blue water […]
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La Niña 2025: What Oregon and Nevada Should Expect As we head into the final months of 2025, meteorologists are forecasting a strong likelihood of La Niña conditions developing across the Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA, there’s a 71% chance La Niña will form between October and December, and a 54% chance it will persist
Celebrating 20 Years and a New Beginning: Tara Lomacz Begins Her Law School Journey A Milestone Worth Celebrating This month marks a major milestone for Tara Lomacz (née Tara Jackson). She is celebrating 20 years with Schroeder Law Offices, PC. Tara began her career as an administrative assistant and grew into the role of senior
Can I Use My Spring in Oregon Without A Water Right of Use? Oregon Water Resources Department’s (“OWRD”) is ratcheting down on new applications for surface and groundwater sources. Consequently, Oregonians are looking at those uses exempt from water righting by OWRD. Different exemptions apply whether the use is considered surface or groundwater. So what
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Immense Aquifer Discovered in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains Background Central Oregon relies heavily on streams and snowmelt from the Cascade Mountains, which feed into the McKenzie and Deschutes Rivers. Recently, researchers uncovered a surprising new water source in the Cascades. It is a previously unmapped aquifer believed to contain over 80 cubic kilometers of water beneath
Revisions to Exempt Groundwater Use in Oregon In the 2025 Oregon Legislative Session, the Oregon State legislature passed House Bill (HB) 3372. HB 3372 changes rules allowing people to use groundwater without requiring a water right. These uses are called “exempt” from water right requirements. Groundwater is a major source of domestic, stockwater, and supplemental
The Greater Idaho Movement is a fascinating and complex effort that has gained traction in recent years. This movement seeks to redraw the state boundaries. Several counties in eastern Oregon would become part of Idaho. The primary motivation behind this movement is the cultural and political differences between the rural, conservative eastern Oregon and the
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House Bill 3419: What’s Next for Well Monitoring and Reporting? Oregon House Bill 3419 has the potential to restrict how much water homeowners can pump from their exempt (non-permitted) wells. It requires meters to record water usage. This bill also focuses on constructing consistency in how water use is measured and reported, in hopes to
Oregon Snowpack: A Winter Wonderland in 2025 With the first day of spring just around the corner, Oregon’s snowpack is now a topic of significant interest and importance. This year, Oregon has experienced remarkable snowfall, leading to a snowpack that is not only above average but also the best in the western United States. What
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Integrated Water Resources Strategy: Oregon IWRS IWRS means Oregon’s statewide Integrated Water Resources Strategy. On November 12, 2024, six Oregon departments hosted a public meeting to discuss IWRS priorities for the next five to 7 years. Sponsoring departments included: Over 50 people attended both online and in person in Salem, including Schroeder Law Offices, to
On September 17th, 2024, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) implemented new groundwater rules that have sparked significant debate. While these rules aim to promote sustainable water use, they also raise several concerns that merit discussion. Arbitrary Power and Political Influence One of the primary criticisms of the new groundwater rules is that they grant
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Oregon Women for Agriculture hosts its Annual Auction and Dinner on April 20th, 2024, at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany, Oregon. The theme for this year is “Bee for Agriculture.”
2024 Oregon Women for Agriculture Annual Auction Read More »
You just purchased property with a pond, or a reservoir. Within the documents provided by the prior owner, you did not find a “typical” stored water right certificate or permit to store water. But you did find a water right of use that allowed storage water to be used for irrigation.
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Looking for something fun and educational to do this weekend? The 2023 Oregon State Fair runs through Monday, September 4th!
The Oregon State Fair Returns! Read More »
The Oregon Water Resources Department (“OWRD”) has stopped processing new groundwater applications and begun to severely limit groundwater permit extensions. This policy change places a significant burden on groundwater permittees and will directly impact agriculture in Oregon. Ultimately, OWRD’s policy change will significantly limit agricultural expansion in the state. In his article “Oregon Moves to
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[This article was originally published in the February, 2022 Oregon Real Estate and Land Use Digest by the Section on Real Estate and Land Use, Oregon State Bar] In Oregon, water rights must be beneficially used according to their terms at least once every five years to remain in good standing. If they are not,
Oregon Hydroelectric Water Right Converted Instream Read More »
The Oregon Legislature’s short session officially begins today, February 1st. It is anticipated that water users and water managers alike can catch their breaths somewhat during the short session, since not as many water-related bills will be considered. The 2021 regular session was a marathon for those of us closely following or involved in water
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(The below article is reproduced from the January, 2022 issue of Oregon Cattleman, the publication of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. For a PDF copy of the article, use this link.) 2021 was a terrible water year in Oregon. We experienced record high temperatures and record low precipitation, after several years of already below-average precipitation, little
The Need for Additional Water Storage Read More »
Winter storage for use throughout the year may still be a viable option with surface water and hydrologically connected groundwater oftentimes unavailable for new permitting. It could be more important than ever during periods of prolonged drought! Laura Schroeder and Sarah Liljefelt will present a free, hour-long webinar on Tuesday, August 3rd, from noon
Winter Storage for Use All Year Read More »
In the second installment of the VACCINE webinar series, Schroeder Law Office presents “What to Do When There is No Water: Drought Tools Explained.” This webinar took place on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, from noon to 1:00 PM, Pacific time. A recording is now posted. Laura Schroeder and Caitlin Skulan will discuss drought tools in
VACCINE Webinar Series: What to Do When There is No Water: Drought Tools Explained Read More »
