We NEED your input at the state level

Please read our recent call to action at https://conta.cc/4i6P2Vx

Oregon Water Caucus
The Oregon Legislature’s Water Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral group of state legislators and staff committed to fostering a secure and resilient water future for all. The Water Caucus recognizes that tackling complex water challenges ​requires focused leadership, innovation, and long-term commitment to learning and working together. Core functions include facilitating learning, convening conversations, promoting informed decision-making, and elevating the priority of water-related policies and investments. The Caucus includes members of diverse backgrounds and is led with balance across the Legislature’s House and Senate as well as the state’s major political parties. Please see below for more information about the Caucus and related events, news, and resources.

Sign-up to receive updates on our website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/helm/Pages/Water-Caucus.aspx.

Submit Water Investment Needs by December 15

The Water Caucus is asking Oregonians to submit their current and future water investment needs via a statewide survey to help inform budget requests and strategic planning. In the time since the Statewide Integrated Water Resources Strategy was initially adopted in 2012, the state has been incrementally increasing its attention to critical water priorities, but the Legislature does not have a comprehensive inventory of water investments needs. In an effort to fill that gap, the Water Caucus invites water managers, users, stewards, advocates and members of the public to submit water investment needs by December 15 via a statewide survey: https://bit.ly/2024waterinvestmentsurvey. By doing so, Oregonians can help the Water Caucus understand investment-ready water projects. In addition to physical projects, water investment needs can include data, planning, and other needs that benefit the environment, communities, and economy. The survey is for informational and planning purposes only and does not guarantee funding or replace other legislative processes. View the dashboard at: https://bit.ly/2024waterinvestmentdashboard.

Click here to view the press release.

Statewide Water Conference – Submit Your Water Research Questions by November 29

Through Senate Bill 5506 (2023), the Institute of Natural Resources and Institute for Water & Watersheds at Oregon State University have partnered to convene a statewide water conference that will:

  • Identify water research needs;
  • Facilitate relationship building among sectors; and,
  • Develop statewide research and learning agendas.

This project complements existing efforts from state, federal, and local agencies; tribal nations; industry; academics; and, community and other organizations. They want to hear from as many Oregonians as possible to help them plan the conference and develop a research and learning agenda.

Contribute your water question here by November 29: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bPY99BAX5M9NzcG. The survey shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes.

Participate in the 2024 PNW Water Year Impacts Survey by November 27

The goal of this survey is to gather information about impacts and response actions that were implemented during the 2024 water year (October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024) due to either abnormally dry or abnormally wet conditions. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and your responses are vital for informing the PNW Water Year Impacts Assessment. Please fill out the survey by November 27: https://uwashington.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dm8Pll3zna1eLFs.

You can view past Water Year Impacts Assessments here: https://www.drought.gov/dews/pacific-northwest.

Drought related information and resources specific to Oregon can be found here: https://www.drought.gov/states/oregon.

Federal Funding Opportunities Email List

The Governor’s Natural Resource Office created a Federal Funding Opportunities mailing list to share available natural resource-related Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding opportunities. The BIL and IRA have allocated billions of dollars towards natural resource conservation and management. This is a once in a generation opportunity to take advantage of the large amount of federal dollars available to successfully fund the state’s priority natural resource needs and build a more resilient Oregon in the face of a changing climate. Sign up to receive email alerts: https://omls.oregon.gov/mailman/listinfo/fed_funding_opps.

Representatives Helm and Owens Release Initial 2025 Water Package Information

Representatives Ken Helm (HD-27) and Mark Owens (HD-60), co-chairs of the Water Caucus and the House Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources, Land Use, and Water, have released initial information describing potential contents of a 2025 Water Package. View the summary table and a slide deck. These materials have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Water Caucus, but provide a starting point for conversations. Please reach out to Representative Ken Helm’s office with questions or feedback. If there are water policies or investments you would like Water Caucus staff to track, please be in touch.

Water Break Out Session at OBC Leadership Summit

Join Representative Helm and Owens and the Governor’s office for a discussion about water solutions for the 2025 session and beyond. The Leadership Summit will be held on December 9 in Portland. Limited funding is available if registration costs are a barrier, please email Harmony Burright (harmony.burright@oregonlegislature.gov).