Critics of HB 4049 Say It Would Sideline Water Regulators in the Harney Basin

By Alejandro Figueroa  |  Feb. 11, 2026  |  Oregon Public Broadcasting

“House Bill 4049 is an attempt by the irrigators to circumvent the authority and expertise of agency staff and scientists and instead plead their case for higher pumping levels to the Oregon Water Resources Commission,” said Lisa Brown, an attorney for WaterWatch of Oregon.

Last year, the state water commission – a volunteer advisory board appointed by the governor – unanimously voted to designate the Harney Basin in southeast Oregon a “critical groundwater area.”

Find the rest of this story at the Oregon Public Broadcasting website, originally posted Feb. 11, 2026. WaterWatch of Oregon makes no claim to this story or content. Banner photo courtesy of OPB.