Applicants in Central Oregon have won most of the state’s water supply grants this year, building on a trend that’s raising concerns among some state water regulators.
Forty years ago, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s Department of Natural Resources started with two employees. Over time, tribal members trained as biologists, helping the department combine modern science and historic practices.
Oregon’s efforts to crack down on unlawful irrigation by cannabis producers may be starting to pay off, according to state regulators. Investigations of licensed hemp farmers uncovered water rights violations