Our water distribution system is based on fiction
Kim Brannock
Guest Column by Tod Heisler
This article was originally published in the Bulletin on 2/19/2023
It doesn’t take an expert to see the growing conflict over the scarcity of water supplies in Central Oregon, intensified by drought and the impacts of climate change. Unfortunately, the finger-pointing has begun. But the Oregon spotted frog is not to blame for our water woes, nor are the farmers whose livelihood depends on water for crops.
Residents across the region would be wise to heed the lessons coming out of the Colorado River Basin.
Lessons from the Colorado River
Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; NYT article “As the Colorado Shrinks…”
Last month, New York Times reporter Christopher Flavelle reported on the reduced flows in the river that have reached an almost catastrophic level.
After 20 years of drought, reservoir levels are nearly too low to pass water through the dams, effectively “turning off” the Colorado River. The situation is dire. It has forced the major users of Colorado River water to renegotiate a century-old accord before the Colorado River runs dry.
The 1922 Colorado River Compact divided the Colorado River’s water among seven states — and was flawed from the beginning. The compact allocated, or gave away, 17.5 million acre-feet — that’s enough water to cover nearly all of Oregon west of the Cascades in one foot of water.
In the last 100 years, the river rarely, if ever, produced 17.5 million acre-feet. In the last twenty years, the supply has fallen well below this level and is shrinking every year. As a result, the states that rely on this water are forced to reconcile. They will have to look beyond current antiquated water laws and policies and make hard decisions about how to meet the 21st-century water needs in the Southwest.
Shifting Water priorities in the Deschutes River Basin
Here in Central Oregon, an analogous scenario is unfolding in the Deschutes River Basin. By 1913, the State of Oregon had issued water rights to irrigators that exceeded the amount of water in the rivers during most summer months.
Oregon then went further, giving away significant amounts of water captured in reservoirs during the winter.
Just as in the Colorado River Basin, the Deschutes Basin water supply was never sufficient to satisfy all the water rights that were issued. There was never enough to begin with, and a changing climate has only exacerbated the issue.
Perhaps more importantly, our water priorities have changed over the past century. Today, we value water for food production and local agriculture. We value water for rivers and all the plants and animals they support.
We value drinking water for our growing cities. Unfortunately, our current, antiquated water distribution system gives priority to none of these values. Instead, it prioritizes water on a first-come, first-served basis rather than to meet today’s most pressing needs.
Just like in the Southwest, our situation has reached crisis proportions. Family farms are on the brink of failure. Our river ecosystems are degrading quickly, and fish and wildlife are threatened. But rather than blame the Oregon spotted frog or farmers, we should solve the problem, starting now.
To support habitat and family farms, Reduce Water Waste now
The main lesson from the Colorado River Basin is that our system, too, was based on fiction and requires the State of Oregon and local water managers to act now. We can no longer afford to waste water on non-productive land under the use it or lose it principle.
For example, according to a 2019 study by Aspect Consulting, small acreages on 22,000 acres in Central Oregon Irrigation District waste up to 68,000 acre-feet of water per year through seepage losses, tailwater losses, and overwatering.
This loss is equal to 34% of the water capacity of Wickiup Reservoir, and is water that family farms in Jefferson County are desperate to have.
Unraveling the mistakes accumulated over the past century will take work. Let’s not wait until we are on the brink of disaster like the Colorado River Basin.
For more information on our water conservation efforts in the Deschutes River Basin, reach out to Jeremy Austin, Wild Lands and Water Program Manager, at jeremy@colw.org
Ryder Redfield
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As pressures mount from climate change, inefficient and wasteful irrigation practices, and a growing population, we need water to be part of the planning process. We need to ensure our region’s rivers and springs can support healthy ecosystems and that water is distributed equitably. Central Oregon LandWatch will see these conservation efforts through, pushing for policy reform, regional collaboration, and legal accountability to state and federal water laws. We thank you for your support.