Proposed Resort drawing opposition from Public and Tribes

In Central Oregon, a fight continues over water for the proposed Thornburgh resort.

The developers recently applied for a state permit to pump nearly 30-thousand gallons a day from wells. Emily Cureton Cook reports:

“30,000 gallons a day — it sounds like a lot, but it’s just a tiny fraction of how much water Thornburgh’s developers will ultimately need, in order to bring to life sprawling plans for golf courses, manmade lakes, and vacation homes between Bend and Redmond. Those plans call for millions of gallons a day. And that broader effort is largely hung up in court. This month,though, state regulators are considering allowing Thornburgh to pursue a different strategy to get some water— by buying an existing water right elsewhere. Neighbors and environmental groups fear this process – called a water right transfer— won’t account for public opposition or how the resort will affect fish and wildlife. The Oregon Department of Water Resources is taking public comments on the water transfer through the end of Thursday. Emily Cureton Cook reporting.”

Warm Springs Natural Resources Branch General Manager Austin Smith Jr., said the Tribe believes that there is a technical disagreement regarding whether the Applicant’s water supply plan demonstrates the benefits that it claims. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs pressed for more time to review its plan for conserving fish and wildlife.

You can see the Full OPB article at this LINK.