OR SB761

Water districts wholly or partly within the Walla Walla basin may apply to the Water Resources Department to lease existing irrigation water rights for temporary conversion to in-stream water rights, splitting water between existing agricultural use and in-stream use

Applicant districts must demonstrate the water right is in the district's name, has been used for irrigation, and the full water allocation was beneficially diverted at least once in the preceding five years

Districts must comply with water measurement requirements, assist with satellite imagery evaluation of district acres, and voluntarily cancel any acres subject to forfeiture

During the lease term, districts cannot increase irrigated acreage, consumptive water use, or use of supplemental/storage water rights, and must provide real-time water measurements to the watermaster

The Water Resources Department may terminate leases found to cause injury to existing water rights, and the entire program sunsets on January 2, 2030