Oregon
Oregon policymakers look to mend broken trust with Harney County irrigators
It’s January, fields of water-hungry hay are dormant, and a layer of hoarfrost and fog blankets the sagebrush for miles in Oregon’s remote southeast corner.
But as fields lie frozen, the seeds of an impending crisis continue to grow in Harney County.
It’s sure to force many farmers into a tough financial spot. Some say it could put them out of business. And now, some farmers are trying to navigate a problem that’s both about the economy, and the environment.
A center pivot sits on agricultural land in Harney County, Ore., on Dec. 18, 2025. Eli Imadali / OPB
The Harney Basin does not have enough groundwater to allow the current pace of irrigation to continue.
In December, water regulators adopted a plan to address the issue.
But many locals feel that the plan ignores their needs and could devastate a region whose economy largely revolves around agriculture.
Some have come to distrust the very agency in charge of managing the state’s water. They’re now forging a partnership with the governor’s office with the hope they can avoid, or at least delay, costly litigation.
“There’s a lot of animosity. And some of it is valid, and some of it’s not,” said state Rep. Mark Owens — a Republican from Harney County and a farmer. “Right now, if the state wants to work with this community, there needs to be a different face leading this instead of the water resource department, and the other option is the governor’s office.”
A disagreement over water management
Last month, the Oregon Water Resources Commission unanimously voted to designate much of the Harney Basin in southeast Oregon a critical groundwater area.
This designation will give the state more authority to reduce how much water irrigators can pump out of the aquifer, with the goal to stabilize it by 2058.
The Harney Basin spans 5,240 square miles of southeast Oregon’s high desert.
Almost all of the groundwater that’s used each year, about 97%, is pumped out to irrigate fields of hay that feed beef and dairy cattle.
For the last three decades, there’s been a problem: The water is drying up.
A center pivot sits on agricultural land in Harney County, Ore., on Dec. 18, 2025.
Eli Imadali / OPB
For decades, the state’s water resources department – overseen by the commission – enabled developers to drill new wells and pump out more water from the aquifer than what can naturally be replenished by rain and snowmelt.
That continued long after the department knew it wasn’t sustainable.
Irrigators in the basin acknowledge the problem – but many disagree with the state’s “critical groundwater area” designation and with how the state has interpreted the science that underpins it.
In one area of the basin north of Malheur Lake, groundwater levels have declined by more than 140 feet below the water table and, since 2016, have continued to drop by as much as eight feet per year.
But groundwater levels in other parts of the basin have not dropped as drastically – falling by less than a foot per year in some places.
As it stands, the water resources department’s plan to cut how much water irrigators can use in the basin doesn’t go into effect until 2028. That plan outlines how some water users will have to cut back their use by up to 70% over the next 30 years.
Before the plan takes effect, water users will have the opportunity to contest the restrictions they might face – a process that would require an attorney and an administrative law judge. It could be costly and take years to resolve.
But many farmers disagree with this plan.
Some feel they’re being punished for the water resources department’s failure. Some say the plan treats all irrigators the same, even though groundwater declines are not uniform across the basin.
Meanwhile, other people in the basin, residents who have domestic or livestock wells but are not irrigators, say the state is not acting fast enough to regulate water users.
In September, a coalition of residents, irrigators, tribes and local governments organized under Owens filed a petition asking the water resources commission to consider a different plan that diverged from the state’s own proposals to cut water use in the region.
In a memo, the water resources department determined the petition’s proposal would result in “continued long-term groundwater level declines” in most areas of the basin.
The commission rejected the petition and adopted the state’s plan instead.
Lost trust, and a different approach
Now, Owens is advocating for a different approach.
If the water resources department proceeds with its plan, many irrigators are likely to contest the restrictions they face.
Owens would like to give them more time to work on what’s called a “voluntary water conservation agreement” – a binding agreement to reduce water use, but one that irrigators would have a say in writing.
That’s where the governor’s office could come in, he said.
“There is some trust that needs to be gained again if we have a desire to work with the [water resources] commission on voluntary actions, because it’s not there right now,” Owens said. “The governor’s office can weigh in with the agencies, specifically the water resource department, and give direction on, ‘You have regulatory sideboards now, but slow down.’”
FILE – State Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane, poses for a portrait in his Burns, Ore., office on Dec. 17, 2025.
Eli Imadali / OPB
That doesn’t mean the governor’s office plans to take over for the water resource department, according to Anca Matica, a spokesperson for Gov. Tina Kotek.
“We trust our agency. We know we monitor the agency’s work and implementation, but we also want to hear from community members to figure out are there ways we can do better,” Matica said. “Are there ways that we can help provide guidance to that agency that maybe they didn’t have?”
Geoff Huntington, a senior natural resources advisor for the governor, was at a meeting last week in Burns when irrigators met with Owens and state officials to discuss their options.
He acknowledged the lack of trust.
“We have a trust issue, right? Let’s call it what it is. It’s a trust issue,” Huntington said. “That’s a legitimate thing that has to be overcome if we’re going to be moving forward, and I say that on behalf of the department and the governor’s office.”
Geoff Huntington and Chandra Ferrari, both with the governors natural resources policy office, at a community meeting in Burns, Ore. on Jan. 22, 2026.
Alejandro Figueroa / OPB
Chandra Ferrari, also a natural resources advisor for the governor, told irrigators at the meeting that developing voluntary water conservation agreements would require a joint effort between the governor and the water resources department.
“Part of the trust building is us resetting right now and recognizing that we have an opportunity for a better pathway,” Ferrari said. “There is potential right now for this agreement, but ideally, we’re coming with you, right? The [Kotek] administration is coming with you to the [water resources] commission and saying we have a good path here.”
To date, no voluntary water conservation agreements have succeeded or even been proposed in Oregon, though.
A center pivot in a field covered with a layer of hoarfrost at a farm near Crane, Ore., Jan 22, 2026.
Alejandro Figueroa / OPB
“Voluntary agreements are a tool that’s available, but has not been used,” said a spokesperson with Oregon’s Water Resources Department. “There has not been one proposed to the department in regards to the Harney Basin.”
Owens said he’s optimistic the approach can work in the Harney Basin, but it will take time.
“These community members would like to try to take some of the fate in their own hands,” he said. “I am optimistic that our farmers will come together for the benefit of the community, for the benefit of themselves, and for the benefit of the state. And work toward reasonable reductions to hit reasonably stable [water levels] within a time frame that can work.”
Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.
A Bad Start Changed Everything
Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.
After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.
Pitching Wasn’t the Issue
Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.
After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.
The Power Just Wasn’t There
In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.
Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.
They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff
In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.
Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.
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