Item 3: EWEB Water Rights - Laserfiche WebLink

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Q: How much water does Veneta use per day now? A: The projections for 2010 usage outlined in Veneta’s Water Master Plan are as follows: ? Average daily demand is 0.90 million gallons a day ? Peak season demand is 1.1 million gallons a day ? Maximum daily demand is 2.3 million gallons a day ? Peak hour demand is 2.9 million gallons a day Maximum daily use for Veneta during the hot summer months is 2.2 million gallons a day (mgd), while the city’s wells can produce just 1.69 mgd. Right now, Veneta can’t meet demand on its maximum use days without drawing down its storage reservoirs. Because those reservoirs are meant for emergencies, such as a fire, additional capacity is needed. Veneta estimates that by 2030, it will need 4.3 mgd. Q: If this deal didn't go through, what is Veneta's "Plan B"? A: Veneta’s adopted 2009 Water Master Plan projected that they would continue to rely upon groundwater sources (wells) to meet Veneta’s immediate needs through 2020. However, the plan noted that groundwater development alone was not likely sufficient to meet Veneta’s long term needs. Q: Could Veneta draw water from Fern Ridge Reservoir or the Long Tom? A: Fern Ridge Reservoir is operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (CORP) as a flood control basin. Municipal water supply is not an approved use for this body of water. Even if it was, the quality of this water is poor due to high summer water temperatures combined with nutrient rich influents from local feeder streams. This quality of water is very difficult to treat and the product water often contains undesirable taste or odor. Aside from having no available water for appropriation, the Long Tom River is a poor quality source of water. The Long Tom experiences low flows during the period of highest water demand for the City of Veneta. It was estimated in the Veneta Master Water Plan that during periods of low flows, the City of Veneta would need to appropriate approximately 65% of the water in the Long Tom to meet peak demand. That amount of water is not available in this water source even if Veneta could purchase a water right from another water right holder. Q: What happens if the third water right is not certificated? A: Failure to certify a water right permit or make reasonable progress toward certification can result in the loss of the permit – and the right to use any of the water under that permit in the future. That amount of water would then be available ‘on the market’ for re-appropriation to other public or private entities who apply for a permit from the State. In order to move toward certification, municipal water rights applicants are required to prepare a plan that identifies when they expect to be using the full quantity of water allowed under each permit, and must describe the methods and assumptions used in determining those date(s). Under Oregon law, a municipal water right permit may be partially perfected for not less than 25 percent of the permitted total allowed under the right, and a certificate can then be issued. This allows for a municipal water supplier to plan for increased capacity over time. Certification is the only way to obtain conclusive evidence of the priority and extent of the appropriation of a water right. Updated June 8, 2010