Next Steps

2020 Legislative Funding

Water Vision Coordination and Implementation Funding will provide staffing support to coordinate 100-Year Water Vision next steps.
Data Decision Support Tools Funding will support ongoing efforts to develop a suite of decision support tools for strategic water planning in local communities. Data Integration Platform
A Business Case for Water Funding will support a statewide assessment that would examine the economic value of water use in Oregon, the impacts of under-investment in water infrastructure, and the associated need for continued investments.

Water Future Advisory Council

Governor Brown's Letter to the Legislature

After evaluating the responses and feedback heard during the 100-Year Water Vision engagement process, it is very clear that Oregonians have a strong interest in moving forward on strategic planning and investments. On February 11, 2020, Governor Kate Brown delivered a memo to the Oregon Legislature, signaling the formal announcement of the Water Future Advisory Council following the 2020 legislative session.

Informed heavily by initial feedback, the Advisory Council will focus on the following objectives:

Community Capacity. Recommend approaches to help communities engage individuals equitably, and expand capabilities to strategically plan for and implement actions to pursue their water futures.
Water Investment Governance. Recommend a framework for local, regional, and statewide governance that will lead to state-supported, regionally appropriate approaches to prioritize water investments with a focus on ensuring all individuals are represented.
Water Funding. Recommend approaches to increase funding coordination and identify early investment needs, funding gaps, and new funding sources that support community water planning, implementation, innovation, and evaluation.
Engaging Oregonians. Recommend approaches to help Oregonians understand the vital importance of water, the water challenges we face, and the need for all of us to work together and to support strategic water investments.
Data and Information Systems. Recommend data needs, tools, and information delivery systems that will help local communities and funders better understand current water and infrastructure conditions and future water trends, to inform strategic decision-making at all levels.

This process is not intended to focus on policy or statutory changes, except those recommended as a part of the advisory council process to advance the objectives outlined above.