The council recognizes that local economic and ecological prosperity is dependent upon the current and future availability and quality of water; therefore the Harney County Watershed Council is committed to this three part goal;
Determine the health of individual watersheds or watershed segments,
Retain the health of high quality watersheds,
Restore and enhance those watersheds, or portions thereof that can be improved.
Harney County
Watershed Council
Groundwater Investigation Public Outreach
Nothing exists without water. The Harney County Watershed Council has received grant funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to begin organizing a groundwater study in the Harney Basin. The first portion of this project is to contact all landowner/stakeholders within the project boundaries to ask for support, cooperation and information.
Our main objectives in starting this study are to protect existing water rights, protect our groundwater resources and to collect meaningful data that will allow us to manage our groundwater in a responsible manner. The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not multiple aquifers exist within the Basin, to find out where there is adequate water supply to support more groundwater development and to identify areas where existing water rights may need protection.
What is at stake? There is the potential for basin wide regulatory action. Areas within the basin with adequate groundwater supply could be penalized due to the fact that we do not have credible data to prove multiple aquifers exist within the basin. Without documentation this could affect us basin wide, instead of just where problems are identified. Property values could decrease, economic development could be affected. Depletion of groundwater could affect all users.
How can you help? You can start by taking our short survey. Your answers will help us address your concerns, as well as gathering data to assist in the study. Additionally, your answers will help us to schedule public meetings. Once scheduled, we will announce the times and locations of the meetings through our mailing list, newspaper, and radio announcements. Please plan to attend one of the meetings, or contact the groundwater sub-committee members at groundwater@hcwatershed.com for more information.
The Harney County Watershed Council is not a part of county government, we are a volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission and purpose is to retain, enhance or restore high quality watershed in the Malheur Lakes Basin which includes all of Harney County. Please join us in protecting our most precious commodity and resource, Harney Basin’s groundwater.
Groundwater Investigation Boundaries
Request for Proposals - Landowner Outreach
The Council is seeking to hire a contractor short term to help organize
public meetings to distribute information from our Data Analysis/initial
model developement project.
See "Projects" page for a full copy of the RFP
Deadline for applications is Monday, February 4, 2013 at 5pm.
