OREGON

The Oregon Water Resources Commission voted unanimously to deny a request by Stand Up to Factory Farms, a coalition of environmental groups and others. Their petition asked for the establishment of a 5,000-gallon daily limit on water withdrawals by new or expanded Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in Umatilla and Morrow counties.

Under the state’s livestock watering exemption, water can be diverted or pumped for livestock use without a water rights permit from the Oregon Water Resources Department, which the commission oversees. Members of the commission felt a petition was a not a good way to handle this problem and looks to coordinate with other state agencies that oversee CAFOs.