OR SB775

Ground water data used by the Department of Environmental Quality, Water Resources Commission, Water Resources Department, or State Department of Agriculture must be either generated by or peer reviewed by at least three institutes identified by the National Institutes for Water Resources located in prior appropriation states.

Requirements apply to declaring or changing ground water management areas under ORS 468B.180, designating or changing critical ground water areas under ORS 537.730, and areas originally established before January 1, 2024.

Agency funding requests to generate or obtain ground water data must include proof the data meets the peer review requirements.

Peer-reviewed data requirements extend to enforcement actions, water permit decisions, rulemaking, and other official agency actions.

Any agency action not meeting these data requirements is deemed invalid.