Water Rights

Deschutes County Clerk's Office is holder of several records regarding water rights in Central Oregon.  Among these records is an early 1900's Deschutes County Circuit Court case and court's opinion involving the determination of the relative water rights to use waters of the Deschutes River and its tributaries.  Also, the Clerk's Office has online  Water Certificates and an index to locate those certificates.

Click here to access the water rights repository.

To compliment these records, the most recent  inventory from State Archives shows the following records with Deschutes County Circuit Court.

Records at the Deschutes County Justice Building First Floor Evidence Room, Cabinet:

  • Circuit Ct. Water [Circuit Court Water Rights Case Files-Deschutes River-includes transcripts, proofs, reports, and related records], no. 2588, ca.1933-ca.1956 (1 cu.ft.);
  • Circuit Ct. Water [Circuit Court Water Rights Case Files-Three Creek and Snow Creek-includes maps], no. 996, 1919-1921 (.25 cu.ft.);
  • Circuit Ct. Water [Circuit Court Water Rights Case Files-Tumalo Creek], no. 519, 1911-1952 (.20 cu.ft.);
  • [Final Order on Petition for Re-Hearing Deschutes River], 1959 (1 volume);
  • Permanent Anderson et al vs. Tumalo Irrigation District [Circuit Court Water Rights Case File], no. 27172, 1981 (1.25 cu.ft.);
  • [Supplemental Decree and Determination Tumalo Creek], 1959 (1 volume);
  • Water Rights [Circuit Court Adjudication Survey Maps-Deschutes River and Tumalo Creek-includes related exhibit maps-rolled in tubes], ca.1950-ca.1968 (ca.50 maps);
  • Water Rights [Circuit Court Case Files-includes depositions, exhibits, and related records], no. 5201, 9422, 10782, 13881, 17761, 36181, 37360, 37507, 1948-1987 (1.25 cu.ft.);
  • Water Rights [Circuit Court Judgment and Decree-Squaw Creek Irrigation District], no. 12476, 1964 (.05 cu.ft.);
  • Water Rights Farm Equip. Co. [Equipment Company-Circuit Court Records-includes testimony, exhibits, and related records], ca.1953-ca.1964 (.25 cu.ft.);
  • Water Rights [Miscellaneous Circuit Court Case Exhibits], 1991 (.15 cu.ft.).

Click here to access Oregon Water Resources Department - Water Rights Information Query

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