Leasing Program: Temporary Streamflow Protection
The Leasing Program allows landowners who do not wish to use their water rights the option to temporarily leave their water in the river for the purpose of enhancing instream flows. It is a flexible program that benefits water rights holders. As a result, it has protected more streamflow than any other program in the Columbia River Basin.
The DRC works with irrigators to protect water they don’t use. Water right holders can donate their water, and under some circumstances, the DRC will pay them to lease their water instream. If you own a water right, by state law you must beneficially use it once every five years. Each year of a lease counts as a year of beneficial use, thereby preserving the validity of your water right.
You may lease all or part of your irrigation rights.
The lease options available to you include:
• 5 year opt out lease - water rights are leased for 5 years. The lessor can opt out of the lease each year 30 days prior to start of the irrigation season.
• 1 year standard lease - water rights are leased for one irrigation season instream.
• Split season lease - water rights are used for part of a season and leased for part of a season in the same year.
Instream leasing protects water rights, provides economic benefits, and helps to restore the Deschutes River and its tributaries. Please contact us if you are interested in leasing your water right instream.
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