August Newsletter
Neighbors,
Welcome to a new format for newsletters designed to keep you informed of issues pertaining to our cause. Each newsletter will contain up to three sections containing education or news. If you have information that you think would be of benefit to our community, please email us at savechehalemmountain@gmail.com
Save Chehalem Mountain was founded out of concern for preserving groundwater and mitigating fire risk in the face of a developing operation at the top of Chehalem Mountain. The following section summarizes some of the events that have taken place over the last few years as we have been monitoring the situation and advocating for our community and our natural resources.
Section 1: Water Uses in the Chehalem Mountain Limited Ground Water Area
18505 NE Jaquith Rd: WAG IRRIGATION WELL APPLICATION #G-18843 at Oregon Water Resources Dept
In October 2019, an application was filed by WAG Holdings LLC with the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) for permitting the use of groundwater (a well and irrigation rights) within the Chehalem Mountain Groundwater Limited Area (CMGLA) for a year-round indoor growing operation, as well as an outdoor growing operation March 1 – October 31. The application for the outdoor irrigation was initially given the status of “PROPOSE TO APPROVE” by OWRD in July of 2020, but the indoor operation was not approved since it was considered a nursery, and irrigation of indoor nurseries is not permitted in the Chehalem Groundwater Limited Area.
In August 2020, a new well location was proposed, initiating a “RE-REVIEW”, which, upon completion, was determined to threaten wildlife in two nearby creeks. Both the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) were now involved. These entities examined the proposals and provided recommendations for harm mitigation for the proposed well and irrigation:
DEQ found that irrigation should be allowed from October 1 – May 31, while ODFW stated that irrigation should only be allowed from November 1 to June 30. Both agencies would consider irrigation allowable during the summer months ONLY if a mitigation plan, provided by WAG, was submitted that would protect the at-risk fish and wildlife during those months.
As a result, WAG will likely be able to irrigate their outdoor operation from March 1 to May 31 only, unless the mitigation plan is approved. The indoor irrigation will not be approved at any point during the year by OWRD as mentioned above. In the meantime, WAG is approved to obtain their water needs from outside sources (water trucks) for their operation needs.
Save Chehalem Mountain and its affiliates have been reviewing documentation and monitoring the situation since 2019, and to our knowledge, there has been no well drilling activity on the property. Public documents and current status relating to the WAG Water Right Application G-18843 can be found HERE.
For more context on our specific concerns, and to see if you have a home or business within the Chehalem Mountain Groundwater Limited Area, please read the “Issues We Face” section of our website.
Section 2: Groundwater Administrative Areas
From Oregon.gov resources on Groundwater and Wells:
“There are 22 designated groundwater administrative areas around the state with differing levels of restriction. These include critical groundwater areas (CGWAs), groundwater limited/classified areas, and areas withdrawn from further appropriation. Some areas have time-limited permit restrictions for uses requiring water rights. Other areas are closed to new appropriations or have well construction requirements to protect senior water rights. Staff monitor these areas to ensure that the restrictions adequately protect the groundwater resource and existing users.”
Link to full resource and list of all administrative areas: https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/programs/GWWL/GW/Pages/AdminAreasAndCriticalGWAreas.aspx
Section 3: Local + Statewide News Related to Water
From Investigate West, a nonprofit investigative journalism newsroom base in the PNW:
Three Decades of Well Water Pollution in Rural Oregon Sees Almost No Government Action.
Community organizers band together to tackle pollution from food processors and industrial farming. The region is home to several large farming and food processing operations that for more than 30 years have been overapplying nitrogen to the soil for use as a fertilizer. The excess nitrogen, which turns into nitrate once it’s applied to soil, has been seeping into the groundwater and contaminating thousands of rural domestic wells. The state of Oregon has done little to prevent it.
“It sucks,” said Joe Rupe, a Boardman resident, about the water. “You can’t drink it, can’t brush your teeth, can’t make your coffee with it. You can shower with it, but it feels nasty.”
Link to article:
Thank you for being involved in our efforts to Save Chehalem Mountain!
