Oregon may be known for the rain that feeds its rivers, but Oregonians are pessimistic there will be enough water to go around as the state's population grows and climate change possibly makes summers even drier. That was the take-home message from five "Water Roundtables" held throughout the state in September and October as an initial step toward developing a strategy for how the state will meet rising demand on its limited water supplies. Two-thirds of those surveyed at the roundtables -- held in cities from the rain-drenched coast to the high eastern deserts -- do not think that Oregon in 2028 will have enough water to cover all its needs, including the needs of wildlife.
Oregon may be known for the rain that feeds its rivers, but Oregonians are pessimistic there will be enough water to go around as the state's population grows and climate change possibly makes summers even drier.
That was the take-home message from five "Water Roundtables" held throughout the state in September and October as an initial step toward developing a strategy for how the state will meet rising demand on its limited water supplies. Two-thirds of those surveyed at the roundtables -- held in cities from the rain-drenched coast to the high eastern deserts -- do not think that Oregon in 2028 will have enough water to cover all its needs, including the needs of wildlife.
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Oregon State University's Institute for Water and Watersheds, which helped coordinate the roundtables, has released a report on the meetings and surveys of those attending.
Oregon is one of only two Western states -- Alaska is the other -- without a water-supply plan outlining how it will meet future water demands. Oregonians may have assumed water wasn't a limiting factor, but that's likely to change, said Brenda Ortigoza Bateman, senior policy coordinator at theOregon Water Resources Department, who attended all the roundtables.
The results of the roundtables dovetail with a forecast developed by the Water Resources Department showing that water needs are expected to grow more than 10 percent by 2050, even as supplies may shrink in a warmer climate. Agriculture, industry, cities and residences all will need more water.
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