The League of Women Voters of Lane County is working to educate the public about the problems with Oregon Water Law.April’s “Third Thursday” discussion, a recurring forum the league hosts, will focus on water law.
“We take (water) for granted, especially here,” Nancie Fadeley, the league’s co-president, said. “Water rights conflicts are coming up more and more even here in the valley.”
Now in its 17th year, the event will be held in the Mallard Banquet Hall at 725 W. First Ave. at 12:15 p.m. Thursday.
Fadeley said educating the public about the problems of the law is imperative to bringing about change.
“It’s a very important environmental issue that people don’t really know that much about,” she said.
The league’s main concern is people’s right to use water during shortages.
According to Oregon Water Resources Department officials, whoever claims the right to a source of water first will be given access to it during a water shortage if they have been using the water regularly and in a beneficial manner.
The earlier the right was established, they said, the longer that person will be given access during the shortage.
Fadeley said this aspect of the law has caused a variety of issues when water is scarce.
Stephanie Winsor, public relations officer for the League of Women Voters of Lane County, said the league’s discussion will attempt to further three goals: water policy and planning, water quality and resources.
“What we try to do on our Third Thursdays is to build on those goals,” Winsor said. “We are relooking at the Oregon Water Law and seeing how it impacts us now.”
The main speaker for the discussion will be Ernie Niemi, vice president and managing director of ECONorthwest, the Northwest’s largest economic consulting firm.
Niemi has a chemistry degree from the University and has taught in the Department of Planning.
Fadeley hopes Niemi will help bring the water law to the public’s attention.
“The first thing we have to start with is education about what the situation is,” Fadeley said. “Even though our audience tomorrow will be rather knowledgeable, my guess is there’s an awful lot they don’t know about water.”
For reservations or more information call the league office at (541) 343-7917.

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