As the new director of the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), I am honored to lead the agency during this critical time for one of Oregon’s most important natural resources. With more than 30 years of experience working across the state, I’ve seen firsthand how essential water is for every community in Oregon.

Water scarcity impacts families, communities, ecosystems, and economies. As the climate changes, new stresses will occur on our aging infrastructure and community needs. Solutions will require modern, flexible, and equitable water management, and engagement and planning with community partners. I am committed to working closely with our local water partners and state and federal natural resource agencies to ensure a sustainable and resilient water future for all Oregonians.

My vision for OWRD

In my first year as director, I am focusing on several key priorities that will guide OWRD’s work in the years ahead. Service is an OWRD core value, and we’re committed to ensuring that our work is timely and responsive to the people we serve. To that end, I’m working to streamline our application and review processes to make water transactions more efficient for water users, improving water rights flexibility, while also protecting existing users. Here in the Deschutes Basin, we’re updating our accounting and water management tools to support environmental, agricultural and community goals.

Strong partnerships are key to our success. Our local partners have been collaboratively planning and implementing solutions for how the region will meet future water needs. This includes creative solutions to modernize aging water infrastructure to create water savings, helping address shortfalls in supply. We will continue to support projects that move the dial on water conservation to help the region meet its goals. I will continue to build partnerships that foster practical, long-term solutions to Oregon’s water challenges, maximizing beneficial water use for everyone.

Early successes and next steps

After decades of groundwater declines, we’re responding to the modern realities experienced by Oregonians and confirmed by science. Many of Oregon’s cities are growing, and OWRD is committed to supporting creative approaches to meet the cities’ water supply challenges. But people without access to municipal water rely on domestic wells, and many are concerned their wells may go dry, leaving homes without water for household uses. We’ve adopted science-based rules for assessing new groundwater right applications. This historic step will improve the way we manage and allocate groundwater, overseeing sustainable access to groundwater for future generations.

As I’ve mentioned, we know that we must improve our customer service and are working to address backlogs in application reviews and improve response times for water users across the state. I will continue to evaluate workloads and staff resources, looking to optimize staff roles in meeting the needs of Oregonians.

I will continue to build stronger relationships with water partners around the state to gain feedback on how OWRD can improve its performance. I am excited to be working with the directors of other natural resource agencies on updating our focus for the Integrated Water Resources Strategy, a document we will use to help prioritize our work over the next eight years. These ongoing conversations will continue to shape our efforts and ensure that families, communities, ecosystems, and economies are at the heart of our decision-making.

I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in my first 100 days as director of OWRD. I am excited about the work ahead and grateful for the opportunity to lead OWRD as we tackle Oregon’s water challenges together. There are many opportunities to engage and be part of the progress, at both the local and state level. By modernizing our approach and strengthening partnerships, I’m confident we can create a sustainable and resilient water future for all Oregonians.

Editor’s Note

Do you have a point you’d like to make or an issue you feel strongly about? Submit a letter to the editor or a guest column.