No, We’re Not There Yet:
Modernizing the Conventional Wisdom
A Review of Water Governance and Water Management
Harmful water uses that don’t pay their way are not worth the damage those water uses cause to water sources. For example, large-scale irrigated agricultural products that contribute little to Oregon’s GDP but cause unreasonable harm to water sources, such as dewatering streams and draining aquifers, are not in the public interest of the present and the future. Virtual Water Exports aided by harmful and uneconomical industrial irrigated agriculture compound the problem, leading to unreasonably harming the public health, safety, and welfare. A cohort of entrenched special interests established this illogical system decades ago when awareness of water scarcity concerns was not at the level we see it today. The vast majority of farms do not practice harmful and uneconomical irrigation practices. We focus our critique on only those that do. Solutions to resolve the harm caused by irrigation practices that dewater streams and drain aquifers must include reforming Oregon’s political culture, which we refer to as the conventional wisdom, alongside the reformation of Oregon’s water code.
Humans have engineered their built environment to harm the natural environment. Humans have a moral, political, and environmental responsibility to govern and manage their affairs to minimize that harm. We request that officials make a greater effort to hold water in trust for all entities in the present and the future: flora, fauna, and humans.