Oregon lawmakers passed governor’s groundwater bill, but not without defections

Antonio Sierra | OPB | June 30, 2025

Gov. Tina Kotek’s attempt to provide the first major update to Oregon’s groundwater law in more than 35 years made it through a challenging legislative session, but not before sacrificing support from environmental groups.

Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1154 in the waning days of this year’s legislative session after a contentious public hearing process. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for her signature.

Staff for the governor’s office has said that SB 1154 was supposed to take lessons learned from the current groundwater crisis in the Lower Umatilla Basin and turn them into reforms. For decades, the basin’s groundwater has been contaminated by nitrates, a substance that can cause cancer, respiratory illness and “blue baby” syndrome.