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Low water levels expose stumps and sand near the Wickiup Dam in Central Oregon last autumn. Oregon lawmakers have approved a change to state water law that exempts drought years from the five-year water rights forfeiture rule.

 EO Media Group File

SALEM — Lawmakers have decided to protect Oregon farmers from risking water rights forfeiture if they abstain from irrigation during droughts.

Irrigators must ordinarily use their water rights at least once every five years to avoid losing them, but drought years would be exempt from the forfeiture rule under legislation recently passed by the House unanimously.

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