Oregon’s water governance is overseen by multiple agencies. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) publishes a bi-annual report on groundwater protection. The 2021-2022 report was just published. You can read the easy to navigate report here (hop to page 6 for the table of contents).
The report includes “the status of groundwater in Oregon, efforts made in the preceding two years to protect, conserve and restore Oregon’s groundwater” as well as an illuminating history of groundwater protection efforts by the DEQ dating back to the 1980s. It touches on threats to the system, such as wildfires and increases in nitrate contamination from farm run-off. Want to learn more from the DEQ? Visit their Reports to the Legislature site here.
