2013 Oregon Revised Statutes
Volume : 13 - Water Resources, Agriculture and Food
Chapter 541 - Water Distributors; Water Releases; Conservation and Storage; Water Development Projects; Watershed Management and Enhancement
Section 541.600 - Definitions for ORS 541.600 to 541.641 and temporary provisions relating to loans for Columbia River Basin projects.

As used in ORS 541.600 to 541.641 and sections 20, 25 and 26, chapter 907, Oregon Laws 2009:

(1) "Economic public benefit" means the improvement of economic conditions that relate to one or more of the following:

(a) Job creation;

(b) Encouragement of economic investments;

(c) Increases in state revenues;

(d) Protection of public resource lands;

(e) Increases in the efficiency of state spending; and

(f) Other activities that enhance economic activity within the state.

(2) "Net environmental public benefit" means the improvement of ecological conditions, compared with a preproject baseline, that relate to one or more of the following:

(a) Water, velocity, temperature, stream flow levels and other stream flow conditions that provide for critical life history needs of state or federally listed sensitive, threatened or endangered fish species and that maintain or enhance population viability of those species.

(b) Stream flow conditions that support the life stages of native fish species or that will allow for the reintroduction of native fish species.

(c) Return flows to surface water bodies from aquifer recharge projects or from other underground water storage projects, and the in-stream protection for those return flows designed to have in-stream benefits.

(d) Protection of peak flows at above-ground and underground storage projects.

(e) Protection of ecological flows at above-ground and underground storage projects.

(f) Water temperature, dissolved oxygen content and other water quality conditions, and progress toward the attainment of water standards that are not being met in the relevant water body.

(g) Ground water quality or quantity.

(h) Aquatic or riparian habitat restoration or enhancement.

(i) Eliminating nonpoint source pollutant transport.

(3) "Secondary use" has the meaning given that term in ORS 541.700.

(4) "Social and cultural public benefit" means the improvement of conditions that relate to one or more of the following:

(a) Promoting public health and welfare;

(b) Recreational use;

(c) Outdoor schools; and

(d) Hunting and fishing.

(5) "Water conservation" means an undertaking that results in:

(a) A decrease in the consumptive use of water;

(b) An increase in water use efficiency; or

(c) An increase in water available to meet in-stream needs.

(6) "Water development project" means:

(a) A water development project as defined in ORS 541.700.

(b) All or part of an undertaking in this state for the purpose of:

(A) Water management, measurement, conservation, efficiency, reuse or storage;

(B) Streamflow restoration; or

(C) Benefiting multiple purposes, such as agricultural, domestic, commercial, recreational, municipal or in-stream purposes.

(c) Secondary uses in conjunction with projects described in paragraph (b) of this subsection. [2009 c.907 §18]

Note: 541.600 is repealed July 1, 2015. See section 40, chapter 784, Oregon Laws 2013.