Has your well gone dry? State asks well owners to report it

SALEM, Ore. - Residents experiencing dry wells during this summer's drought - or anytime - are encouraged to report issues via the website owrd.info/drywell.

Dry well reports help the state track ongoing and emerging shifts in groundwater supplies, and impacts on people who rely on groundwater. Residents who provide reports contribute to a greater understanding of conditions specific to their area.

The Oregon Water Resources Department maintains the state's Dry Well website, including an interactive map where reports can be tracked by county and basin, along with highlighting hotspots with higher numbers of reports.

The website also includes valuable information for well owners, such as maintenance tips, how to find licensed and qualified personnel to service their well, and links to potential financial assistance.

"As Oregon continues to face constrained water supplies, understanding groundwater trends across the state becomes even more important," said Ivan Gall, Director of the Oregon Water Resources Department.

Dry well reporting is required as part of qualifying for financial assistance through OWRD's Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund (WARRF), except for wells damaged by fire. WARRF provides grants to low- to moderate-income homeowners or members of a Federally recognized Tribe to help with the cost of repairing or abandoning and replacing a dry well or a well damaged by wildfire.

The well must no longer provide enough water for essential in-home uses like drinking, cooking or bathing, and the applicant must live at the property full-time. A majority of program funding is dedicated to applications from drought-declared counties or for wells impacted by wildfire. Find more information and apply at owrd.info/warrf.

With bipartisan support, the Oregon Legislature's Emergency Board recently allocated $1 million in additional state dollars to WARRF to ensure families continue to have access to water in their homes.