Critical Water Shortage on Tide Creek Road — Senior Water Rights Warning

Who We Are

We are over 25 concerned citizens on Tide Creek Road that believe we have already experienced well water interferences from the last two wells that have been drilled up here. In order to protect ourselves from any further interference from any new wells we are now monitoring our water levels. Also, the state of Oregon is now doing regular scheduled measurements on our wells because of dry wells in this area. We have over 70 pages of letters and illustrations outlining our existing water well issues that we have filed with Columbia County. We are set up to claim our Senior well water rights in the event we experience interference from any new wells. We are uphill from new wells in our area. Aquifers run downhill. The elevation difference increases the possibility and probability of water being sucked out of the bottom of our wells by new deep water wells at a lower elevation. We mean no harm to anyone, but we will use the law to protect what water we have. We have no choice. ‘THESE ARE OUR LONG TIME HOMES’.

Beware!

Most of our homes have ongoing well water problems and in the future potentially a lot more.

When many of the original wells were drilled the water volume was at least 10 GPM to 40 GPM. Now many years later, due to the natural depletion of the aquifer, our wells average 2.3 gallons per minute.

One of the wells is .4 (point 4) gallons a minute and of course on a water tank storage system to survive. One of the wells is recently dead.

Several of the homes on Tide Creek Road are on water storage tank systems. This means that their well does not produce enough water to supply their home on a continuous basis. Their well slowly fills a large storage tank and then the home draws from the tank. They cannot take 2 showers at the same time.

Our well water shortage situations, that are just across the road from a current subdivision application, could be very susceptible to well water interference from new lower elevation deep water wells. It could not only run our wells dry, it could ruin our wells forever.

New deep wells drilled at a lower elevation than our existing wells can draw water from our aquifer. The deeper the well, the more powerful the pump, and the greater the potential for interference with our existing wells. This is not speculation — it is basic hydrology and Oregon water law.

We urge any prospective homebuyer, developer, or county official to take this warning seriously before approving or purchasing any property that would require new well drilling in this area.

State of Oregon

Know What Can Happen

Oregon water law recognizes the doctrine of prior appropriation — "first in time, first in right." Senior water rights holders have legal priority over junior rights holders. Our wells were drilled first. We have senior water rights.

Under Oregon Revised Statutes, a well owner who experiences interference from a newer well may file a complaint with the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD). The OWRD has the authority to order the junior well owner to cease pumping or to reduce pumping to protect the senior rights holder.

The State of Oregon is already conducting regular scheduled measurements on wells in our area because of documented dry wells. This is not a future concern — it is a present reality on Tide Creek Road.

Oregon law states that when a new well causes interference with an existing well, the new well owner may be required to:

• Cease or curtail pumping operations
• Deepen or relocate their well at their own expense
• Provide an alternative water supply to the affected senior rights holder
• Pay damages for losses caused by the interference

We have documented our water levels, flow rates, and well conditions. We have filed over 70 pages of letters and illustrations with Columbia County. We are prepared to exercise our senior water rights through all available legal channels.

Environmental Protection

Questions

Q: What happens to water levels when infiltration cannot replace groundwater?

A: When the rate of groundwater extraction exceeds the rate of natural recharge (infiltration), the water table drops. This is called aquifer depletion. Once an aquifer is depleted beyond a certain point, wells that previously produced adequate water will begin to fail — first producing less water, then requiring storage tank systems, and ultimately going dry entirely.

Q: How do new deep wells affect existing shallower wells?

A: Groundwater flows from areas of higher elevation to lower elevation. A new deep well drilled at a lower elevation creates a cone of depression in the water table around it. This cone can extend laterally and uphill, drawing water away from existing wells at higher elevations. The more powerful the pump in the new well, the larger and deeper the cone of depression.

Q: Are aquifers on Tide Creek Road already stressed?

A: Yes. The documented decline from 10–40 GPM at original drilling to an average of 2.3 GPM today is clear evidence of aquifer stress. One well now produces only 0.4 GPM. One well is dead. The Oregon Water Resources Department is already monitoring wells in this area. Adding new deep wells to an already stressed aquifer system is a serious risk to all existing water users on Tide Creek Road.

Q: What should a prospective homebuyer know before purchasing property in this area?

A: Any new home requiring a new well on Tide Creek Road faces two serious risks: (1) the new well may not produce adequate water given the depleted state of the local aquifer, and (2) the new well may trigger legal action from senior rights holders whose wells are interfered with. We strongly urge all prospective buyers to conduct thorough due diligence, consult with a water rights attorney, and review the documentation we have filed with Columbia County before making any purchase decision.

We The People Of Tide Creek Road

We are long-time residents and property owners on Tide Creek Road. Our homes are our most valuable piece of property. Over half the homes in the near-vicinity of a subdivision application are on a water storage tank system. We must protect our water, our homes, our families, and our future!

Our team is made up of passionate individuals that are willing to fight with all legal means necessary to protect their water rights and their homes.

We have banded together to present a warning to all future homeowners of Tide Creek Road. We have superior water rights, and we will exercise those rights if needed.

Our goal with this website is to both educate you of the Tide Creek Road water situation and warn you of potential problems.

Please check out our attached published government charts and documentation regarding the water tables and aquifers. You will find them to be both compelling and definitive. These problems are real and you should take them seriously.

ASK YOURSELVES, AS WE HAVE, ‘WHAT IS A HOUSE WORTH WITHOUT WATER?’

Discover Local Well Water Shortage’s Information Hub: Browse 18 Important Illustrations Below

The following PDF contains 18 important illustrations including published government charts and documentation regarding the water tables and aquifers in the Tide Creek Road area. These documents have been filed with Columbia County and represent compelling, definitive evidence of the water shortage situation.