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<br />'<(.. ' <br />oOu,7aI5. <br />'.; -:;;; - ~. . <br /> <br />3. Sponsors of the law hoped that including "irretrievably <br />lost" water in the definition of conserved water would <br />broaden opportunities to apply the law. However, much <br />of Oregon's agricultural land is located in alluvial river <br />valleys. Water that percolates to ground water is <br />generally in a shallow aquifer that discharges back to the <br />stream in a short period of time. <br /> <br />/ <br />i <br /> <br />D. Water Ri~ht Holders Are Uncertain About the Effects of the <br />Program <br /> <br />1. Many in agriculture have expressed concern that <br /> <br /> <br />reductions in the water right that make sense for one <br /> <br /> <br />crop will limit flexibility to turn to a higher water using <br /> <br /> <br />crop in the future. Loss of flexibility is perceived as a <br /> <br /> <br />disincen ti ve. <br /> <br />2. Many farmers have expressed a general distrust of <br /> <br /> <br />creating instream rights, even with strong measures to <br /> <br /> <br />prevent injury to other users. <br /> <br />3. The agricultural community is also concerned that <br /> <br /> <br />greater knowledge of water use will lead to more <br /> <br /> <br />regulation and less flexibility in the future. Parts of <br /> <br /> <br />water rights may be cancelled. In several areas. water <br /> <br />use is now known to exceed water right limitations. <br /> <br /> <br />Credit is not likely to be earned for conservation that <br /> <br /> <br />reduces use down to the legal limits. Water <br /> <br /> <br />management efforts in Oregon. are likely to begin <br /> <br />12 <br />