ORS Chapter 540

Chapter 540 — Distributionof Water; Watermasters; Change in Use; Transfer or Forfeiture of Water Rights

 

2009 EDITION

 

 

CHANGESIN USE OR TRANSFER OF RIGHTS

 

WATERLAWS

 

WATERDISTRICTS; WATERMASTERS; DISTRIBUTION OF WATER GENERALLY

 

540.010     Waterdistricts; creation; purposes

 

540.020     Watermasters;appointment; removal; powers of Water Resources Director

 

540.030     WaterResources Director; duties regarding water distribution

 

540.045     Watermasterduties

 

540.050     Appearanceof district attorney

 

540.060     Arrestby watermaster; complaint against offender

 

540.075     Officeand equipment for watermaster

 

540.080     Assistantwatermasters; compensation and expenses; termination

 

540.100     Divisionof water among users; payment

 

540.120     Lienfor wages and expense; notice; foreclosure

 

540.130     Advancepayment

 

540.135     Dispositionof funds collected under ORS 540.100 to 540.130 and 540.220

 

540.140     Insufficiencyof water; preference of uses

 

540.145     Distributionof water; rules; applicability

 

540.150     Rotationin water use; notice

 

DISTRIBUTIONOF WATER FROM IRRIGATION DITCHES AND RESERVOIRS

 

540.210     Distributionfrom ditch or reservoir

 

540.220     Paymentof assistant watermaster

 

540.230     Distributionof waste or seepage water; payment

 

540.240     Lienfor wages and expense; property subject to lien; monthly payment

 

540.250     Lien,notice of intent to claim; foreclosure; attorney fees

 

540.260     Lienfor wages and expense; enforcement; remedy not exclusive

 

540.270     Distributionfrom irrigation districts and improvement companies; applicability of ORS540.210 to 540.260

 

HYDRAULICWORKS AND STRUCTURES; MEASURING DEVICES; DITCH RIGHT OF WAY

 

540.310     Ditchesand canals; headgates; measuring devices; flumes along lines of ditches

 

540.320     Noncompliancewith requirements; effect

 

540.330     Reservoirs;measuring devices; effect of noncompliance

 

540.340     Reservoirand diversion dam; suitable outlet; effect of noncompliance

 

540.350     Dams,dikes and other hydraulic works; examination and approval by commission;responsibility of owners; inspections; modification of works; hearing

 

540.360     Orderto modify

 

540.370     Enforcingcompliance with order or decree

 

540.380     Reportsof consultants; payment

 

540.390     Inspectionof dam, dike or hydraulic structure; expenses; deposit by applicant; payment byowner of works; lien

 

540.400     Applicabilityof ORS 540.350 to 540.390

 

540.410     Deliveryof reservoir water; notice to watermaster; adjustment of headgates; expenses;payment

 

540.420     Jointlyowned ditches; performance by co-owner; recovery for default

 

540.430     Nonpaymentby ditch co-owner; lien on interest; foreclosure; stoppage of water delivery

 

540.435     Installationof totalizing measuring device; annual water use report; hearing; effect offailure to comply with order

 

540.440     Ownerto clear weeds from ditch right of way

 

CHANGESIN USE OF WATER; TRANSFER OF WATER RIGHTS; EXCHANGE

 

540.505     Definitions

 

540.510     Appurtenancyof water to premises; restrictions on change of use, place of use or point ofdiversion; application for transfer of primary and supplemental water rights;right to use conserved water

 

540.520     Applicationfor change of use, place of use or point of diversion; public notice; protest;hearing; exemptions

 

540.523     Temporarytransfer of water right or permit; terms; revocation; status of supplementalwater right or permit

 

540.524     Substitutionof supplemental water right from ground water source for primary water rightfrom surface water source; application; fee

 

540.525     Installationof fish screening or by-pass device as prerequisite for transfer of point ofdiversion

 

540.530     Orderauthorizing change of use, place of use or point of diversion; consent toinjury; new or modified certificate

 

540.531     Transferof surface water point of diversion to ground water; requirements; priority;mitigation measures; return to surface water diversion; rules

 

540.532     Requestfor change in point of diversion to reflect historical use; requirements

 

540.533     Applicationfor exchange of water; fee

 

540.535     Noticeof application for exchange

 

540.537     Orderallowing exchange; order terminating exchange

 

540.539     Exchangesubject to beneficial use requirements

 

540.541     Deliveryand use of water under exchange

 

540.543     Regulationof headgates when water provided by exchange

 

540.545     Transferof water rights following county acquisition of land

 

540.550     Ratificationof prior transfer of water rights to irrigation district

 

540.560     Orderchanging description of land to which water right is appurtenant; limitation;purpose; hearing; effect of final order

 

540.570     Temporarytransfers within districts; procedure; fee

 

(Temporaryprovisions relating to transferred water use pilot project are compiled asnotes following ORS 540.570)

 

540.572     Applicationof certificated water elsewhere within district; notice

 

540.574     Petitionfor approval of transfer

 

540.576     Noticeof petition; protest; user rights

 

540.578     Filingof protest; hearing on proposed transfer

 

540.580     Permanenttransfer of place of use of water within district; requirements; procedure

 

540.585     Temporarytransfers within Deschutes River Basin; procedure; fee

 

540.587     Reporton implementation of temporary transfer provisions

 

FORFEITUREOF WATER RIGHTS

 

540.610     Useas measure of water right; forfeiture for nonuse; confirmation of rights ofmunicipalities

 

540.612     Exemptionfrom forfeiture

 

540.621     Cancellationof abandoned water right upon request of owner

 

540.631     Cancellationof forfeited water right; notice

 

540.641     Protestof cancellation; procedure

 

540.650     Issuanceof new water right certificate for water rights not canceled

 

540.660     Affidavitof watermaster that circumstances prevent use of water right in accordance withterms of certificate; procedures for cancellation of right

 

540.670     Effectof cancellation of primary water right on supplemental right; change fromsupplemental to primary right; priority date

 

PROHIBITEDACTS; INJUNCTIONS

 

540.710     Interferencewith headgate, or use of water denied by watermaster or other authority;evidence of guilt

 

540.720     Unauthorizeduse or waste of water; evidence of guilt of user

 

540.730     Obstructioninterfering with access to or use of works

 

540.740     Injunctiverelief against action of watermaster

 

540.750     Injunctionsuits; notice; hearing

 

PENALTIES

 

540.990     Penalties

 

WATERDISTRICTS; WATERMASTERS; DISTRIBUTION OF WATER GENERALLY

 

      540.010Water districts; creation; purposes. The Water Resources Commission shalldivide the state into water districts, which shall be so constituted as tosecure the best protection to the claimants for water and the most economicalsupervision on the part of the state. Water districts shall not be createduntil necessary. [Amended by 1985 c.673 §82]

 

      540.020Watermasters; appointment; removal; powers of Water Resources Director. (1) The WaterResources Director shall appoint one watermaster for each water district. Thewatermaster shall hold office until removed by the director, and shall besubject to any applicable provision of the State Personnel Relations Law. Thedirector shall fill all vacancies which occur in the office.

      (2)The director, or any duly authorized assistant, shall have the powers andauthority of a watermaster in the distribution of water in any water district. [Amendedby 1985 c.421 §5]

 

      540.030Water Resources Director; duties regarding water distribution. The Water ResourcesDirector shall:

      (1)Have general control over the watermasters.

      (2)Execute the laws relative to the distribution of water and perform otherfunctions as may be assigned to the director. [Amended by 1953 c.395 §3; 1985c.673 §82a]

 

      540.040 [Amended by1953 c.395 §3; 1957 c.341 §10; 1963 c.410 §1; repealed by 1985 c.421 §17]

 

      540.045Watermaster duties.(1) Each watermaster shall:

      (a)Regulate the distribution of water among the various users of water from anynatural surface or ground water supply in accordance with the users’ existingwater rights of record in the Water Resources Department.

      (b)Upon the request of the users, distribute water among the various users underany partnership ditch, pipeline or well or from any reservoir, in accordancewith the users’ existing water rights of record in the department.

      (c)Divide the waters of the natural surface and ground water sources and othersources of water supply among the canals, ditches, pumps, pipelines andreservoirs taking water from the source for beneficial use, by regulating,adjusting and fastening the headgates, valves or other control works at theseveral points of diversion of surface water or the several points ofappropriation of ground water, according to the users’ relative entitlements towater.

      (d)Attach to the headgate, valve or other control works the watermaster regulatesunder paragraph (c) of this subsection, a written notice dated and signed bythe watermaster, setting forth that the headgate, valve or other control workshas been properly regulated and is wholly under t