Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525 (2026)

Policy

✓ current as of May 2026
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      537.525 Policy. (1) The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to ensure the preservation of the public welfare, safety and health it is necessary that:

      (a) Provision be made for the final determination of relative rights to appropriate ground water everywhere within this state and of other matters with regard thereto through a system of registration, permits and adjudication.

      (b) Rights to appropriate ground water and priority thereof be acknowledged and protected, except when, under certain conditions, the public welfare, safety and health require otherwise.

      (c) Beneficial use without waste, within the capacity of available sources, be the basis, measure and extent of the right to appropriate ground water.

      (d) All claims to rights to appropriate ground water be made a matter of public record.

      (e) Adequate and safe supplies of ground water for human consumption be assured, while conserving maximum supplies of ground water for agricultural, commercial, industrial, thermal, recreational and other beneficial uses.

      (f) The location, extent, capacity, quality and other characteristics of particular sources of ground water be determined.

      (g) Reasonably stable ground water levels be determined and maintained.

      (h) Depletion of ground water supplies below economic levels, impairment of natural quality of ground water by pollution and wasteful practices in connection with ground water be prevented or controlled within practicable limits.

      (i) Whenever wasteful use of ground water, impairment of or interference with existing rights to appropriate surface water, declining ground water levels, alteration of ground water temperatures that may adversely affect priorities or impair the long-term stability of the thermal properties of the ground water, interference among wells, thermal interference among wells, overdrawing of ground water supplies or pollution of ground water exists or impends, controlled use of the ground water concerned be authorized and imposed under voluntary joint action by the Water Resources Commission and the ground water users concerned whenever possible, but by the commission under the police power of the state except as specified in ORS 537.796, when such voluntary joint action is not taken or is ineffective.

      (j) Location, construction, depth, capacity, yield and other characteristics of and matters in connection with wells be controlled in accordance with the purposes set forth in this section.

      (k) All activities in the state that affect the quality or quantity of ground water shall be consistent with the goal set forth in ORS 468B.155.

      (2) The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that expanded group domestic use for a public water system located in a ground water quality management area declared under ORS 468B.180 using an amount of water equivalent to the amount of water provided by abandoned water wells as provided in ORS 537.617 ensures the preservation of the public welfare, safety and health. [1955 c.708 §2; 1985 c.673 §46; 1989 c.201 §2; 1989 c.833 §56; 2025 c.605 §33]

 

      537.530 [Repealed by 1955 c.708 §38]

 

(Aquifer Storage and Recovery)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases, 1970–2005 · leading case: Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 783 P.2d 519 (Or. 1989).
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 783 P.2d 519 (Or. 1989). · cites it 26× “ORS 537.525 provided in part: “The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to insure the preservation of the public welfare,…”
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 758 P.2d 865 (Or. Ct. App. 1988). · cites it 19× “” Petitioners argue that the legislature has delegated to the Director the responsibility and discretion for developing a specific policy for the application of the terms “overdrawn” and “excessive” within the legislature’s general policy stated in ORS 537.”
Ashland Drilling, Inc. v. Jackson Cnty., 4 P.3d 748 (Or. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 6× “Plaintiffs present a list of state provisions with which the ordinances allegedly conflict: ORS 537.525; ORS 537.545(2); ORS 537.765(4).”
Schnitzer Inv. Corp. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London, 104 P.3d 1162 (Or. Ct. App. 2005). “6 Plaintiff argues, however, that the studies also showed that the groundwater *158 under the property is contaminated and that some of the actions that DEQ threatened to require plaintiff to take involved evaluating and remedying the contamination of the groundwater. The…”
Water Resources Dept. v. City of Klamath Falls, 682 P.2d 779 (Or. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 4× “) The state contends that legislative intent to vest exclusive authority in the state is apparent from reports of the Water Resources Committee, established to make “specific recommendations regarding the formulation of a statewide coordinated system of water resource…”
Lane Elec. Coop., Inc. v. Federated Rural Elec. Ins., 834 P.2d 502 (Or. Ct. App. 1992). “ORS 537.525(1). Although ground water is subject to appropriation, 4 there is no evidence that plaintiff or anyone else made any attempt, lawful or otherwise, to appropriate the ground water.”
North Pac. Ins. v. United Chrome Prods., Inc., 857 P.2d 158 (Or. Ct. App. 1993). “ORS 537.525(1). Although ground water is subject to appropriation, there is no evidence that plaintiff or anyone else made any attempt, lawful or otherwise, to appropriate the ground water.”
Waterwatch of Oregon, Inc. v. Oregon Water Resources Dep't, 852 P.2d 902 (Or. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 12× “525(8) and ORS 537.525(5) as stating policies that differ from and compliment that of ORS 537.”
Phillips v. Gardner, 469 P.2d 42 (Or. Ct. App. 1970). “U* «: # * # » ORS 537.525 deals with ground waters, not surface waters.”
Dinsdale v. Young, 706 P.2d 944 (Or. 1985). “See ORS 537.525(2), (3), (7) and (8), 537.620, ORS 537.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525(1) — 4 cases
Ashland Drilling, Inc. v. Jackson Cnty., 4 P.3d 748 (Or. Ct. App. 2000). “Plaintiffs present a list of state provisions with which the ordinances allegedly conflict: ORS 537.525; ORS 537.545(2); ORS 537.765(4).”
Lane Elec. Coop., Inc. v. Federated Rural Elec. Ins., 834 P.2d 502 (Or. Ct. App. 1992). “ORS 537.525(1). Although ground water is subject to appropriation, 4 there is no evidence that plaintiff or anyone else made any attempt, lawful or otherwise, to appropriate the ground water.”
North Pac. Ins. v. United Chrome Prods., Inc., 857 P.2d 158 (Or. Ct. App. 1993). “ORS 537.525(1). Although ground water is subject to appropriation, there is no evidence that plaintiff or anyone else made any attempt, lawful or otherwise, to appropriate the ground water.”
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 783 P.2d 519 (Or. 1989). “ORS 537.525 provided in part: “The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to insure the preservation of the public welfare,…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525(11) — 1 case
Ashland Drilling, Inc. v. Jackson Cnty., 4 P.3d 748 (Or. Ct. App. 2000). “Plaintiffs present a list of state provisions with which the ordinances allegedly conflict: ORS 537.525; ORS 537.545(2); ORS 537.765(4).”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525(2) — 1 case
Dinsdale v. Young, 706 P.2d 944 (Or. 1985). “See ORS 537.525(2), (3), (7) and (8), 537.620, ORS 537.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525(3) — 3 cases
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 783 P.2d 519 (Or. 1989). “ORS 537.525 provided in part: “The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to insure the preservation of the public welfare,…”
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 758 P.2d 865 (Or. Ct. App. 1988). “” Petitioners argue that the legislature has delegated to the Director the responsibility and discretion for developing a specific policy for the application of the terms “overdrawn” and “excessive” within the legislature’s general policy stated in ORS 537.”
Water Resources Dept. v. City of Klamath Falls, 682 P.2d 779 (Or. Ct. App. 1984). “) The state contends that legislative intent to vest exclusive authority in the state is apparent from reports of the Water Resources Committee, established to make “specific recommendations regarding the formulation of a statewide coordinated system of water resource…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525(5) — 3 cases
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 758 P.2d 865 (Or. Ct. App. 1988). “” Petitioners argue that the legislature has delegated to the Director the responsibility and discretion for developing a specific policy for the application of the terms “overdrawn” and “excessive” within the legislature’s general policy stated in ORS 537.”
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 783 P.2d 519 (Or. 1989). “ORS 537.525 provided in part: “The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to insure the preservation of the public welfare,…”
Waterwatch of Oregon, Inc. v. Oregon Water Resources Dep't, 852 P.2d 902 (Or. Ct. App. 1993). “525(8) and ORS 537.525(5) as stating policies that differ from and compliment that of ORS 537.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525(7) — 3 cases
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 783 P.2d 519 (Or. 1989). “ORS 537.525 provided in part: “The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to insure the preservation of the public welfare,…”
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 758 P.2d 865 (Or. Ct. App. 1988). “” Petitioners argue that the legislature has delegated to the Director the responsibility and discretion for developing a specific policy for the application of the terms “overdrawn” and “excessive” within the legislature’s general policy stated in ORS 537.”
Waterwatch of Oregon, Inc. v. Oregon Water Resources Dep't, 852 P.2d 902 (Or. Ct. App. 1993). “525(8) and ORS 537.525(5) as stating policies that differ from and compliment that of ORS 537.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525(8) — 3 cases
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 783 P.2d 519 (Or. 1989). “ORS 537.525 provided in part: “The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to insure the preservation of the public welfare,…”
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 758 P.2d 865 (Or. Ct. App. 1988). “” Petitioners argue that the legislature has delegated to the Director the responsibility and discretion for developing a specific policy for the application of the terms “overdrawn” and “excessive” within the legislature’s general policy stated in ORS 537.”
Waterwatch of Oregon, Inc. v. Oregon Water Resources Dep't, 852 P.2d 902 (Or. Ct. App. 1993). “525(8) and ORS 537.525(5) as stating policies that differ from and compliment that of ORS 537.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 537.525(9) — 1 case
Doherty v. Oregon Water Resources Dir., 783 P.2d 519 (Or. 1989). “ORS 537.525 provided in part: “The Legislative Assembly recognizes, declares and finds that the right to reasonable control of all water within this state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public, and that in order to insure the preservation of the public welfare,…”
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