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Water Rights & Drought

Factual background and legislative updates on this specific area of concern.

The Rogue River Basin and Southern Oregon frequently battle severe drought conditions. Water managers must allocate limited resources among agricultural farmers who need it for crops, municipalities that need it for drinking water, and environmental regulations that require water to be kept in rivers to protect endangered fish species.

Live Legislation

These are real bills currently moving through the Oregon Senate related to this issue. Read the details and cast your vote below.

HB 4130

Chapter 115, (2026 Laws): Effective date January 1, 2027.

The Act would grant the tax break for land that is in "farm use" to land under a processing facility. The Act would clarify what "preparing"...

HB 4153

Chapter 123, (2026 Laws): Effective date January 1, 2027.

Allows farm stores on farmlands. (Flesch Readability Score: 90.9). Allows counties to approve farm stores[, instead of farm stands,] as nonf...

HB 4004

Chapter 29, (2026 Laws): Effective date June 5, 2026.

The Act says certain tax is not owed for land that does not qualify for forest special assessment due to pests or disease. The Act says the...

HB 4061

Chapter 39, (2026 Laws): Effective date March 31, 2026.

The Act would have Business Oregon give grants to small businesses for costs that are due to tariffs. The Act would have the agency work wit...