Hugo Neighborhood Association & Historical Society

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Josephine County Tax Rolls: 1859, 1860, 1861
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Seeking Applicants For Hugo Neighborhood Assn.
Self-Guided Tour - Granite Tombstone Quarry Site
Soil Surveys
Southern Oregon Toll-Free Region?
Water Assessment
Well Interference
What Is The Capacity of Your Fire Hazard Area?
What Is The Carrying Capacity of Your Aquifer?

WELL INTERFERENCE

What Is Well Interference?

Water is one of our most essential resources. Without an adequate supply of good water, all life in Hugo, Oregon would soon vanish. Proper location, construction, and maintenance of wells are essential for reliable, safe water supplies for both you and your neighbor.
An important attitude a neighbor should have for other neighbors is respect. Take care of your neighbors and they will take care of you. However, one thing that’s sure to upset a neighbor is if he feels another is responsible for his well producing less water or going dry.
Try to site your well as far away from neighboring wells as possible. When wells are close together, they can interfere with each other and produce less water.

There are a variety of reasons for the many standards applying to the placement of wells. They include septic tanks, drainfields, sewer lines, underground fuel tanks, sewage disposal areas, ease of access and repairs and boundary line inaccuracies. For well interference, however, interference investigations after the fact appear to be the only standard.

Water Rights & Water Well Permits

Under Oregon law, all ground water is considered a public resource. With some exceptions, anyone intending to use ground water from a well in excess of the following exempted uses must first obtain a permit from the Oregon Water Resources Department (ORS 537.545). This means that if a well is shared by more than one family the exempted uses are divided among the families.

1. Group and single-family domestic use up to 15,000 gallons per day.
2. Stock watering.
3. Watering any lawn and/or non-commercial garden totaling one-half acre or less in area.
4. Down-hole heat exchangers.
5. Any single industrial or commercial development up to 5,000 gallons per day.
6. Land application concerning ground water uses for: 1. a water right issued for industrial purposes, or a water right authorizing use of water for confined animal feeding purposes, 2. water reused for irrigation purposes, 3. for operating a disposal system or a confined animal feeding operation.

While exempted ground water uses do not require a water right, the use is only allowed if the water is used for a "beneficial purpose without waste" [ORS 535.525(3)] and may be subject to regulation when there is interference among wells, or in times of water shortage [ORS 535.525(9)].

More Information & Well Interference Investigations

If you need assistance about whether you need a water well permit, or wish to have a well interference investigation, please contact your Watermaster, or the Regional Hydrogeologist.

Bruce Sund, Watermaster
Oregon Southwest Region (District 14)
Water Resources Department
942 SW 6th Street, Suite E
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
541-471-2886
Email: Bruce.R.Sund@wrd.state.or.us

Ivan Gall, Regional Hydrogeologist
Oregon Southwest Region
Water Resources Department
942 SW 6th Street, Suite E
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
541-471-2886 Ext. 230
Email: Ivan.K.Gall@wrd.state.or.us

The well interference investigation process will consider any well, including those exempted under ORS 537.545. Possible outcomes for interfering wells are discontinuance of use, or conditions on use (ORS 537.629, ORS 537.775, OAR 690-250-0110, and OAR 690-250-0130).
The Water Resources Department has an Interference Flow Chart that demonstrates the technical factors considered in an investigation. They include well logs, static water levels for potentially interfering wells, lithology, well construction, well depth, saturated thickness, aquifer fully developed and junior wells versus senior wells.

Disclaimer

This brochure is as much about providing information and provoking questions as it is about opinions of the Hugo Neighborhood concerning a particular issue. It does not provide recommendations to citizens and it is not legal advice. It does not take the place of a lawyer. If citizens use information contained in this publication, it is their personal responsibility to make sure that the facts and general information contained in it are applicable to their situation. The Hugo Neighborhood Association and Historical Society assumes no liability for information provided. Link.

October 5, 2002 (updated)

© 2011 Hugo Neighborhood Association & Historical Society