Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 540.510 (2026)

Appurtenancy of water to premises; restrictions on change of use, place of use or point of diversion; application for transfer of primary and supplemental water rights; right to use conserved water

✓ current as of May 2026

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540.510 Appurtenancy of water to premises; restrictions on change of use, place of use or point of diversion; application for transfer of primary and supplemental water rights; right to use conserved water. (1)(a) Except as provided in subsections (2) to (8) of this section, all water used in this state for any purpose shall remain appurtenant to the premises upon which it is used and no change in use or place of use of any water for any purpose may be made without compliance with the provisions of ORS 540.520 and 540.530. However, the holder of any water use subject to transfer may, upon compliance with the provisions of ORS 540.520 and 540.530, change the use and place of use, the point of diversion or the use of the water without losing priority of the right. A district may change the place of use in the manner provided in ORS 540.572 to 540.580 in lieu of the method provided in ORS 540.520 and 540.530. When an application for change of the use or place of use for a primary water right is submitted in accordance with this section, the applicant also shall indicate whether the land described in the application has an appurtenant supplemental water right or permit. If the applicant also intends to transfer the supplemental water right or permit, the applicant also shall include the information required under ORS 540.520 (2) for the supplemental water right or permit. If the applicant does not include the supplemental water right or permit in the transfer application, the Water Resources Department shall notify the applicant that the supplemental water right or permit will be canceled before the department issues the order approving the transfer of the primary water right, unless within 30 days the applicant modifies the application to include the supplemental water right or permit or withdraws the application. The department may approve the transfer of the supplemental water right or permit in accordance with the provisions of ORS 540.520 and 540.530. The department shall not approve the transfer of a supplemental water right or permit if the transfer would result in enlargement of the original water right or injury to an existing water right. If the department approves the transfer of the primary water right but does not approve the transfer of the supplemental water right or permit, the department shall notify the applicant of the department’s intent to cancel that portion of the supplemental water right or permit described in the transfer application before the department issues the primary water right transfer order, unless the applicant withdraws the transfer application within 90 days.

(b) A holder of a water right certificate that authorizes the storage of water may change the type of use identified in the water right certificate, as described in paragraph (a) of this subsection, without losing priority of the right.

(2) Subject to the limitations in ORS 537.490, any right to the use of conserved water allocated by the Water Resources Commission under ORS 537.470 may be severed from the land and transferred or sold after notice to the commission as required under ORS 537.490.

(3)(a) Any water used under a permit or certificate issued to a municipality, or under rights conferred by ORS 538.410 to 538.450, or under the registration system set forth in ORS 537.132, may be applied to beneficial use on lands to which the right is not appurtenant if:

(A) The water is applied to lands which are acquired by annexation or through merger, consolidation or formation of a water authority, so long as the rate and use of water allowed in the original certificate is not exceeded;

(B) The use continues to be for municipal purposes and would not interfere with or impair prior vested water rights; or

(C) The use is authorized under a permit granted under ORS 468B.050 or 468B.053 and for which a reclaimed water registration form has been filed under ORS 537.132.

(b) As used in this subsection, “municipality” means a city, a port formed under ORS 777.005 to 777.725, 777.915 to 777.953 and 778.010, a domestic water supply district formed under ORS chapter 264, a water supplier as defined in ORS 448.115 or a water authority formed under ORS chapter 450.

(4) Pursuant to the provisions of ORS 540.570 or 540.585, any water used under a permit or certificate issued to a district may be applied to beneficial use on lands within the district to which the right is not appurtenant.

(5) The relocation of a point of diversion as necessary to follow the movements of a naturally changing stream channel does not constitute a change in point of diversion for purposes of ORS 540.520 if:

(a) The diversion point stays within 500 feet of the point of diversion on record with the Water Resources Department;

(b) The change does not move the diversion point upstream or downstream beyond the diversion point of another appropriator; and

(6) In the event that government action results in or creates a reasonable expectation of a change in the surface level of a surface water source that impairs or threatens to impair access to a point of diversion authorized by a water right permit, certificate or decree, the owner of the water right may change the point of diversion or add an additional point of diversion in accordance with the provisions of this section in lieu of complying with the requirements of ORS 540.520 and 540.530. Before changing the point of diversion, the water right owner shall provide written notice of the proposed change to the Water Resources Department. Within 15 days after receipt of such notice, the department shall provide notice by publication in the department’s public notice of water right applications. Within 60 days after the department receives notice from the owner, the Water Resources Director, by order, shall approve the change unless the director finds the changes will result in injury to other existing water rights. All other terms and conditions of the water right shall remain in effect.

(7) The sale or lease of the right to the use of conserved water under ORS 537.490 does not constitute a change of use or a change in the place of use of water for purposes of ORS 540.520.

(8) Ground water applied to an exempt use as set forth in ORS 537.141 or 537.545 may be subsequently applied to land for irrigation purposes under ORS 537.141 (1)(i) or 537.545 (1)(g) without application for a change in use or place of use under this section. [Amended by 1987 c.264 §11; 1989 c.7 §1; 1989 c.707 §3; 1991 c.370 §5; 1991 c.957 §7; 1993 c.577 §36; 1993 c.641 §9; 1995 c.168 §1; 1995 c.274 §2; 1995 c.359 §2; 1997 c.244 §4; 1997 c.286 §10; 1999 c.335 §2; 2003 c.705 §8; 2021 c.633 §1]

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 14 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1974–2023 · leading case: Fort Vannoy Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Comm'n, 188 P.3d 277 (Or. 2008).

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Fort Vannoy Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Comm'n, 188 P.3d 277 (Or. 2008). · cites it 34× “See ORS 540.510.” Wilber, 273 Or at 861-62 (additional emphasis added).”

Fort Vannoy Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Comm'n, 162 P.3d 1066 (Or. Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 17× “ORS 540.510 provides that the “holder of any water use subject to transfer” may apply to the department to transfer or change the use, place of use, or diversion point of the water.”

Teel Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Dep't, 898 P.2d 1344 (Or. Ct. App. 1995). · cites it 14× “A holder of a perfected water right can apply water to lands other than those to which the water right is appurtenant, by filing an alternate acreage petition with the department and obtaining its approval. ORS 540.520; ORS 540.”

Hannigan v. Hinton, 97 P.3d 1256 (Or. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 12× “The relevant “statutory scheme” included ORS 540.510 (1979), which, like the current version of ORS 540.”

Huff v. Bretz, 592 P.2d 204 (Or. 1979). · cites it 5× “He states, however, that the only lawful point of diversion for that water right was from the east side ditch; that plaintiffs had lost the use of the lateral ditch connecting that point of diversion and the property prior to the execution of the lease, and that ORS 540.”

Teel Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Dep't, 919 P.2d 1172 (Or. 1996). · cites it 3× “Once the permittee has completed the construction and has begun applying the water to a beneficial use, a “final proof survey” is prepared as “proof’ of a perfected water right.”

Gerald Hawkins v. Debra Haaland, 991 F.3d 216 (D.C. Cir. 2021). “at 281 (quoting Or. Rev. Stat. § 540.510 (1)). An irrigation district to facilitate the 22 construction of irrigation works is formed upon proposal of landowners, governed by an elected board of directors, and has the power to acquire lands for reservoirs or other purposes.”

WaterWatch of Oregon v. Water Resources Dept., 468 P.3d 478 (Or. Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 3× “A person who transfers a water right by purchase, lease or gift under this subsection shall comply with the requirements for the transfer of a water right under ORS 540.510 to 540.530. “(2) Any person who has an existing water right may lease the existing water right or portion…”

Hennings v. Water Resources Dep't, 622 P.2d 333 (Or. Ct. App. 1981). · cites it 2× “No change in use or place of use can be made without application to the State Engineer, and the change cannot be effected if it would injuriously affect other users.”

Becker v. Pieper, 32 P.3d 912 (Or. Ct. App. 2001). “Although he was unaware of it at the time, plaintiffs initiation of the water rights transfer did not suffice to transfer those rights prior to the various sales.”

Bridge Creek Ranch v. Water Resources Dept. (Or. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 38× “In December 2021, relator submitted a permanent water transfer application to the OWRD under ORS 540.510 to change the Bridge Creek POD for its storage water right under Certificate 68553 and its permitted storage water right.”

Wilber v. Wheeler, 543 P.2d 1052 (Or. 1975). · cites it 2× “At the time of the final proof survey, applicants may be irrigating unowned land under permission from the owner, under a contract to purchase, under a leasing agreement, or under the mistaken belief that they actually own the land. Here, the final proof survey map which was…”

Show all 14 citing cases →

— Or. Rev. Stat. § 540.510(1) — 6 cases

Fort Vannoy Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Comm'n, 188 P.3d 277 (Or. 2008). “See ORS 540.510.” Wilber, 273 Or at 861-62 (additional emphasis added).”

Hannigan v. Hinton, 97 P.3d 1256 (Or. Ct. App. 2004). “The relevant “statutory scheme” included ORS 540.510 (1979), which, like the current version of ORS 540.”

Teel Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Dep't, 919 P.2d 1172 (Or. 1996). “Once the permittee has completed the construction and has begun applying the water to a beneficial use, a “final proof survey” is prepared as “proof’ of a perfected water right.”

WaterWatch of Oregon v. Water Resources Dept., 468 P.3d 478 (Or. Ct. App. 2020). “A person who transfers a water right by purchase, lease or gift under this subsection shall comply with the requirements for the transfer of a water right under ORS 540.510 to 540.530. “(2) Any person who has an existing water right may lease the existing water right or portion…”

Russell-Smith v. Water Resources Dep't, 952 P.2d 104 (Or. Ct. App. 1998).

— Or. Rev. Stat. § 540.510(1)(a) — 1 case

Bridge Creek Ranch v. Water Resources Dept. (Or. Ct. App. 2023). “In December 2021, relator submitted a permanent water transfer application to the OWRD under ORS 540.510 to change the Bridge Creek POD for its storage water right under Certificate 68553 and its permitted storage water right.”

— Or. Rev. Stat. § 540.510(1)(b) — 1 case

— Or. Rev. Stat. § 540.510(2) — 1 case

Hannigan v. Hinton, 97 P.3d 1256 (Or. Ct. App. 2004). “The relevant “statutory scheme” included ORS 540.510 (1979), which, like the current version of ORS 540.”

— Or. Rev. Stat. § 540.510(4) — 3 cases

Teel Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Dep't, 898 P.2d 1344 (Or. Ct. App. 1995). “A holder of a perfected water right can apply water to lands other than those to which the water right is appurtenant, by filing an alternate acreage petition with the department and obtaining its approval. ORS 540.520; ORS 540.”

Fort Vannoy Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Comm'n, 188 P.3d 277 (Or. 2008). “See ORS 540.510.” Wilber, 273 Or at 861-62 (additional emphasis added).”

Fort Vannoy Irrigation Dist. v. Water Resources Comm'n, 162 P.3d 1066 (Or. Ct. App. 2007). “ORS 540.510 provides that the “holder of any water use subject to transfer” may apply to the department to transfer or change the use, place of use, or diversion point of the water.”

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