The Harney County Watershed Council and the Harney County Court are co-convening a community-based water planning effort in the Malheur Lake Basin in partnership with the Oregon Water Resources Department. The kick-off meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Harney County Community Center. Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting.

In June 2016, the Harney County Watershed Council received a grant from the Oregon Water Resources Department  to address current water challenges and plan for a sustainable water future through a collaborative water planning effort following a set of draft guidelines. The first planning step is to build a collaborative, integrated process. The Watershed Council and county court, along with a small coordinating committee, are in the process of reaching out to diverse stakeholders.

More information about the community-based planning effort and the kick-off meeting can be found online at: http://hcwatershedcouncil.com/community-based-water-planning/.

For more information, contact: Harmony Burright at 503-986-0913 or harmony.s.burright@wrd.state.or.us