Who gets the water?

Water. We use about 408 billion gallons every day in the United States, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That’s over 1,000 gallons a day for every citizen. We use it to make electricity, to irrigate crops, we bathe in it and use it to make lemonade and beer.

In 2005, the Oregon legislature decided if there was one creature by which to measure the health of our rivers and lakes, it was a fish. Since then, fish such as steelhead, chinook, chub and lamprey must be considered when people get permission from the state to use water.

There are about 100 municipalities, including Corvallis, Salem and Adair Village, whose water use permits are up for extension. Permits are granted for limited amounts of water and for limited spans of time, and periodically they must be reviewed by the Oregon Water Resources Department.

Now fish that are listed as “sensitive,” “threatened” or “endangered” by either the state or the federal government must be taken into account in approving those water permits. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is charged with making sure listed fish “persist,” or survive.

It’s an unprecedented situation in Oregon, and only two of the cities or water districts applying for extensions to their permits are moving ahead to see if they are approved. All others have placed their applications on hold, waiting to see what happens.
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