The annual OGWA campout took place at Pelton Park on August 7-9. It was a rough start to the event when the campground was evacuated due to wildfires two weeks before our arrival. We anxiously awaited reopening and got the great news that the park had been completely spared of damage and park staff was awaiting our arrival.

A weekend of fun was kicked off on Friday night with a competitive potluck event that brought some of our member’s best dishes to the table. Kathy McMullen was the winner of the main dish category and Sarah Rogers was the winner of the side dish category. In a fierce battle for kid’s deserts, Lucy Wallace was the first place winner with Eli and Noah Osborne in second place. Thanks to all of you for sharing your culinary talents. We were honored to host a group of wildland firefighters for dinner, and they were very impressed by the delicious spread that our members shared.

Saturday started with a delicious breakfast that was sponsored by Bruce Eberle and prepared by the Memorial Fund Committee. After breakfast was the children’s games and crafts, including a pinata and sno-cones. The kids had a great time! Meanwhile, the annual horseshoe tournament was taking place. After several hours of play, Randy Garner and Alex Shenk emerged victorious. Well done!

Free time was on the schedule after that. Many chose to spend some time in or on the lake. Others enjoyed golf, hiking, or just some quiet time in this beautiful location. Despite the wildfires around the area, the air quality was remarkably good during our stay and we were able to enjoy all of the outdoor activities.

Evening activities started with Jim Mack and Dave Paysinger grilling oysters on the barbecue. Lines were forming by 5:30 to enjoy these delicious fresh oysters. The picnic committee served a Beach Party themed dinner of hamburgers, brauts, and hot dogs. Dinner was a fun and festive affair, with lots of visiting and enjoying the company of our fellow members.

After dinner, the Memorial Fund had the pleasure of presenting the Family in Business Scholarship to Nolan St. Denis. Congratulations Nolan!

Speed Bingo and ice cream rounded out the evening. Many great prizes were donated by members and sponsors. All who participated in Bingo walked away with a prize. It is always a fun event!

Sunday morning brought breakfast and finished up the scheduled events for the campout. After clean up and group site breakdown, the picnic committee finally got some time to rest and enjoy the park. This event could not happen without the hard work and dedication that this group brings. A huge thank you to this amazing committee: Angela and Randy Garner, Alex and Patti Shenk, Alice Laffey, Greg Kupillas, Ashley Garner and Larry Jones. Welcome to new participant Nicole Lisenby. If you would like to participate with this great group, please contact the OGWA or any of the committee members. They would love to have you! Planning will begin shortly for the 2027 campout, scheduled for Augus 6-8. Please plan to join us!

Many sponsors helped to make this campout a success. Sponsorships help the committee fund the events, meals, crafts and all picnic related expenses. The OGWA and picnic committee would like to give a hearty thanks to the following sponsors: Terra Sonic International, Preferred Pump, Mitchell Lewis & Staver, Teague Minerals, Pacific Hydro-Geology, Mountain View Well Drilling, Court Street Consulting, Waterlab Corporation, Custom Pipe and Fabrication, Drillers Depot, Franklin Electric, Ernst Irrigation, RJB Wholesale, Bruce Eberle, 2M Company, and Hole Products. Our sincere appreciation to all of these sponsors for making our campout extra special.

Please plan to join the OGWA and your colleagues in the ground water industry next year at the campout.

• Thank you to everyone who participated.

  The annual OGWA campout took place August 7-9 at Pelton Park, and a good time was had by all who took part.

  There was a rough start to the event when the campground was evacuated due to wildfires two weeks before our arrival. We anxiously awaited reopening and got the great news that the park had been completely spared of damage and staff was awaiting our arrival.

  A weekend of fun was kicked off on Friday night with a competitive potluck event that brought some of the best dishes from our members to the table. Kathy McMullen was the winner of the main dish category and Sarah Rogers won the side dish category. In a fierce battle for kid’s deserts, Lucy Wallace was the first-place winner with Eli and Noah Osborne coming in second place. 

  Thanks you to everyone who shared your culinary talents. We were honored to host a group of wildland firefighters for dinner, and they were impressed by the delicious spread that our members shared.

  Saturday started with a delicious breakfast that was sponsored by Bruce Eberle and prepared by the Memorial Fund Committee. After breakfast, there were children’s games and crafts, including a pinata and sno-cones. The kids had a great time!

  Meanwhile, the annual horseshoe tournament took place as well. After several hours of play, Randy Garner and Alex Shenk emerged victorious. Well done!

  Free time was on the schedule after that. Many chose to spend time in or on the lake. Others enjoyed golf, hiking, or just some quiet time in a beautiful location. Despite the wildfires around the area, the air quality was remarkably good during our stay, and we were able to enjoy the outdoor activities. 

  The evening started with Jim Mack and Dave Paysinger grilling oysters on the barbecue. Lines were forming by 5:30 p.m. to enjoy them! The picnic committee served a Beach Party-themed dinner of hamburgers, brauts, and hot dogs. Dinner was a fun and festive affair with lots of visiting with our fellow members.

  After dinner, the Memorial Fund had the pleasure of presenting the Family in Business Scholarship to Nolan St. Denis.  Congratulations Nolan! 

  Speed Bingo and ice cream rounded out the night. Many great prizes were donated by members and sponsors. Everyone walked away with a prize. 

  Sunday morning brought breakfast and finished up the scheduled events for the campout. After cleanup and group site breakdown, the picnic committee finally got some time to rest and enjoy the park. This event could not happen without the hard work and dedication that this group brings.  A huge thank you to this amazing committee: 

• Angela and Randy Garner
• Alex and Patti Shenk
• Alice Laffey
• Greg Kupillas
• Ashley Garner
• Larry Jones
• Nicole Lisenby 

• If you would like to participate with this great group, please contact the OGWA or any of the committee members. They would love to have you!  Planning will begin shortly for the 2027 campout scheduled for Augus 6-8. 

  Many sponsors helped to make this campout a success. Sponsorships help the committee fund the events, meals, crafts, and all picnic-related expenses. The OGWA and picnic committee would like to give a hearty thanks to the following sponsors:

• Terra Sonic International
• Preferred Pump
• Mitchell Lewis & Staver
• Teague Minerals
• Pacific Hydro-Geology
• Mountain View Well Drilling
• Court Street Consulting
• Waterlab Corp.
• Custom Pipe and Fabrication
• Drillers Depot
• Franklin Electric
• Ernst Irrigation
• RJB Wholesale
• Bruce Eberle
• 2M Co.
• Hole Products

Please plan to join the OGWA and your colleagues in the ground water industry next year at the campout. 

The fall convention is October 23-24 in Redmond.

First and foremost, I want to not only thank our Picnic Committee for a great event August 7-9 in Pelton Park but also give a huge shoutout to Rae Weaver and everyone that was involved.  You all did an awesome job, and the event was a success—especially with all of the new hazards thrown in this year (heat, smoke, fires, etc.).

Our registration information is up on the OGWA website for the OGWA Fall Convention October 23-24 in Redmond. If you have not registered, please do so and reserve a hotel room as well. Be sure to let the staff at the Eagle Crest Resort know you are with the OGWA so you get the best rate possible.

We are also looking for individuals that would like to be part of the leadership, and by that, work with OGWA staff and other volunteers to guide the direction of the association. Be it on a committee or serve on the OGWA Board of Directors. Let staff know if this sounds like something you’d be interested in.

Finally, remember that August 1 is the start of our Dues Year.  If you have any questions about this, just reach out to us at either ogwa@ogwa.org or office@ogwa.org and we will help you.

Thank you for being part of the OGWA. We will see you in October in Redmond.

JOSH LISENBY
PRESIDENT, OGWA

Department looking at waste of water and more.

 

As discussed in your OGWA Summer 2026 newsletter, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) is making use of the legislative interim by engaging in a robust rulemaking process. 

The Department is exploring rulemaking to amend OAR Chapter 690, Divisions 250, 260, 300, and 340 and sponsored open houses throughout the state in May and June. Topics included waste of water, bulges in the system, and violations and penalties. The new rules will also address required rule changes from recent legislation, including exempt use and water hauling.

 

Several members of the OGWA Legislative Committee and OGWA lobbyist Genoa Ingram attended several of the open houses held across the state to hear briefings on the proposed rules. Your Legislative Committee then met and drafted comments to the Department regarding the rules. 

Divisions 250 and 260 were last amended in 1988 and 1990, respectively. Since then, legislators have added new statutes and clarified expectations for lawful water use, including Senate Bills SB 85 (2023), and SB 326 (2023), and House Bills HB 2010 (2023), HB 2929 (2023), HB 3372 (2025), and HB 4061 (2022). 

 

While these rules are open to revision, OWRD is also interested in making other improvements. The new or amended rules would seek to:  

• Align rules with current statutory authority  
• Modernize watermaster regulation process  
• Build regulatory consistency   
• Add and clarify definitions  

The OGWA’s comments on enforcement fairness and consistency included a suggestion to clearly define “use” in statute. Additionally, OGWA pointed out that property owners may not have a true understanding of the provisions of their permits or certificated rights, despite attempts by the Department to educate them.   

OGWA understands that it is the property owner’s responsibility to establish whether they have a water right when they purchase the land, but they sometimes do not bother to read their permits or may not even be aware that they do not have a water right. Watermasters may not have the resources to respond unless there is a complaint. 

OGWA’s recommendation was that, in the interest of fairness and protection of the resource, the Department put greater efforts into identifying and enforcing against illegal users. 

The OWGA will attempt to have at least one member assigned to the Rules Advisory Committee when it is formed later this summer.

Offering is designed to accelerate geothermal growth across the country.
Dandelion Energy announced the expansion of its financing offerings with a strategic partnership with Diverso Energy, the leading provider of geothermal services in Canada.

Diverso Energy is majority-owned by CVC DIF, the infrastructure strategy arm of CVC, will provide financing and access to investment tax credits for residential developments with Dandelion nationwide.

The announcement includes the launch of Dandelion's Geo-as-a-Service program to provide builders nationwide with a zero-upfront-cost pathway to the most efficient, effective, and durable home heating and cooling solution available. The partnership signals significant validation of the U.S. geothermal market and will accelerate geothermal adoption across the country.

The expansion of Dandelion's financing capacity follows its fall 2025 launch of the first-of-its-kind leasing program that allows builders to install geothermal heating and cooling for less than a standard HVAC system. Dandelion's announcement includes a new geothermal infrastructure investment in the United States, expands its current lease available in 14 states to a full national offering, and provides new, flexible financing options.

By leveraging Third-Party Ownership (TPO) structures, Dandelion removes the up-front capital expenditure, which has been the primary barrier to geothermal adoption. Dandelion enables builders to:

• Eliminate up-front costs: Install geothermal systems at or below the cost of traditional, less efficient HVAC units
• Boost profitability and sales velocity: Builders can offer a high-performance home that differentiates them in the market
• Future-proof compliance: Geothermal systems easily meet and exceed tightening energy codes and efficiency standards without complex workarounds.

Under this model, Dandelion and its partner Diverso finance, install, and own the geothermal system, providing the builder with a turnkey solution that delivers significant benefits to homebuyers. This solution will provide homebuyers across the country with access to the premium home heating and cooling technology.

The Geo-as-a-Service offering enables homeowner access to geothermal through a simple service payment designed to be in line with their significant utility bill savings, which is cash flow positive from day one.

The Geo-as-a-Service model is supported by legislative provisions, such as those preserved in H.R. 1, which enable third-party ownership models and maintain the Commercial Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for geothermal energy.

"Dandelion's Geo-as-a-Service model will be a catalyst for the industry's affordability, accessibility, and scalability," said Dandelion Energy CEO Dan Yates. "We are thrilled to be able to deliver a superior, premium product to builders without increasing their costs and make geothermal accessible to more homeowners than ever before."

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency will not establish nationwide environmental requirements for the ever-growing data center industry, leaving water use, cooling system design, and air quality decisions to individual states and communities.

Speaking at the POLITICO Energy Summit, Zeldin argued that states and local governments are better suited for developing environmental standards and regulations due to the many differences in water availability, energy infrastructure, and air quality across different regions.

It has long been expected that the EPA would adopt this hands-off approach as the administration believes new data centers are crucial for national security and economic growth. But states across the country have been busy developing standards in place of federal rules. More than 30 states have passed legislation to regulate data centers and require more transparency from their operators.

Zeldin and the EPA remain confident that companies will voluntarily address water usage on their own. He pointed to the adoption of closed-loop cooling designs, which use significantly less water than traditional evaporative systems. Large technology companies, such as Google and Amazon, have begun to address concerns about their water usage with plans to expand their water re-use programs and reduce overall freshwater withdraw from aquifers.

Last year, NGWA formed a task force to address the impact of data centers on groundwater and provide guidance for their development. The task force focuses on groundwater availability, transparency in water use, and best practices for siting and operating data centers in ways that protect long-term water resources.

NGWA underscored the critical role groundwater professionals play in helping communities manage water resources responsibly as data centers expand across the United States with the Association’s latest position paper and a three-part series in its monthly trade magazine, Water Well Journal.

The position paper notes that data center growth must be planned and managed in a manner that protects groundwater resources that are relied upon by communities and ecosystems. It adds that policymakers, regulators, and data center developers need to incorporate groundwater sustainability into siting, permitting, and operational decisions, including clear disclosure of water sources and use.

Both the position paper and three-part article series can be found on the Associations' website dedicated to data centers titled Issue: Data Centers and Groundwater.

Please comment on the new newsletter format

As you can see, the Association has modified its newsletter. The new system now seamlessly connects to the association management database which has streamlined office workflows. We are continuing to work on the look and functionality of the newsletter and welcome your feedback. Please let us know of any suggestions you have in which you think it can better serve its members.

• Make sure workers are protected from more than heat and moving parts.
  Articles during the summer months often focus on safety — be it on the job, around the rig, in the trench, wherever. I want to jump on this bandwagon as well but focus on a few other things on my mind that relate to safety.

  Let’s focus on safety that we don’t often see or know about because we don’t always ask our employees. It is the safety of unseen issues.

  New hires (and even your long-time hires) may be dealing with a lot more than you know about outside the job. Personal life, social issues, and other things can take a huge toll on each of us.

  Make sure you take some time to do the following:

  Educate yourself on knowing the signs of mental health stress and struggles. What do the sudden mood swings say? Is an employee suddenly reserved and quiet?

• Reach out to these employees, asking them if everything is alright. Is there anything they need?
• Realize that these are your employees and they need support.

Also, think about other unforeseen items. We all know that our industry’s preferred method of fixing a wound in the field is a rag and tape, but do you know where the nearest pharmacy is to your jobsite? What about an ER?

Have you made sure your first aid kit is stocked with the necessary items, and up-to-date items? Make sure the items dad put in there 30 years ago have been changed out!

Finally, make sure you know the protocol for specific safety issues.

Does everyone know what to do if there is an epileptic episode with a worker? What do you have in place if that happens?

What about a Type 1 or Type 2 diabetic attack? Do you know the difference? Does the employee have a First Alert tag on them? Have they told you what to do?

We have to be safe — and not just from heat and moving parts. We have to make sure we take care of all of our employees, both those in the field working and those back working in the office.

DAVE SCHULENBERG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IAGP

• It’s critical to understand what raises heat risks when on the jobsite.

  Heat illness is a serious workplace hazard. Anyone who works in a hot environment can be affected, but some workers are at greater risk than others. Understanding what raises your risk is the first step to staying safe.

  Personal Risk Factors
  Certain health, lifestyle, and physical factors can make it harder for your body to handle heat. Talk to your healthcare provider if any of these apply to you.

• Having chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or kidney disease
• Being overweight or having a low level of physical fitness
• Taking certain medications, including some used to treat blood pressure, allergies, or mental health conditions. Some medications can reduce your ability to sweat or sense heat
• Consuming large amounts of caffeine, which can contribute to dehydration
• Drinking alcohol within 24 hours of working in a hot environment
• Being 60 or older
• Being pregnant
• Having had heat illness in the past, which raises your risk of getting it again
• Not being acclimatized to the heat, meaning you are new to the job, returning after time away, or working in suddenly hotter conditions.

• Environmental Risk Factors
  Your surroundings play a major role in your risk of heat illness. The following factors can increase the risk of heat illness in the workplace.

• High air temperatures, especially when combined with high humidity
• Direct sun exposure and working on or near hot surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, or metal.
• Lack of airflow or a breeze
• Working near equipment, machinery, or engines that generate heat
• Physically demanding tasks that raise your body temperature
• Long shifts or not taking long enough rest breaks to let your body recover.

• Steps to Protect Yourself
  Knowing the risk factors associated with heat illness can help you take proactive steps to protect yourself. Consider the following tips.

• Follow all workplace rules regarding heat safety.
• Drink water regularly throughout your shift, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
• Take regular rest breaks.
• Wear light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable clothing when possible.
• Tell your supervisor if you don’t feel well and move to a cool area right away.
• Watch out for coworkers who may be showing signs of heat illness such as confusion, loss of concentration, heavy sweating, or dizziness.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about personal conditions or medications that could affect your ability to work safely in the heat.

Seek Medical Attention
Heat illness can quickly become life-threatening. If you or a coworker experiences the symptoms of a heat illness, seek help immediately! Report symptoms to your supervisor immediately! If you are in doubt, call 911 for medical assistance.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or legal advice. These guidelines do not supersede local, state, or federal regulations. For further information, please consult a qualified professional.

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• Passwords alone aren’t enough to protect accounts today.

  While complex passwords may help deter cybercriminals, they can still be cracked. According to telecommunications company Verizon, an estimated 80% of hacking-related data breaches involve stolen credentials. With these findings in mind, it’s clear that passwords alone aren’t enough to protect your workplace accounts.

  Fortunately, that’s where multifactor authentication (MFA) can help. MFA is a layered approach to securing data and applications, in which a system requires a user to present a combination of two or more credentials to verify their identity during login.

  This article provides more information on MFA, explains how it protects companies and employees, and offers best practices.

  MFA Overview
  Through MFA, employees must confirm their identities by providing extra information, such as a phone number, biometric data, or one-time security code in addition to their passwords when attempting to access sensitive corporate information and infrastructure.

  Companies should require MFA for remote access to their networks, for the administrative functions within their networks, and for any enterprise-level cloud applications.

  With this method, it’s not enough to just have your username and password. In order to log in to a workplace account, you’ll need another “factor” to verify your identity, similar to someone needing both a key and an identification badge to gain physical access to a building. This additional login hurdle means that cybercriminals won’t be able to easily unlock your account, even if they have your compromised credentials in hand.

  Key Protections
  Although proper password management can prove beneficial, stolen credentials remain a common and pervasive cybersecurity threat. Even the most sophisticated passwords can be stolen, whether via brute-force techniques or advanced phishing scams.

  In these instances, all it takes is one compromised account to expose an entire company, potentially resulting in devastating and disruptive cyberattacks (e.g., account takeovers, data breaches, or ransomware incidents).

  Without MFA in place, employees could be leaving personal information and sensitive projects stored on their workplace accounts—as well as a company’s larger corporate systems—vulnerable to cybercriminals. Using this method can help halt these hackers in their tracks, safeguarding both employees and their companies.

  While MFA may seem like a tedious or unnecessary step in the login process, it’s well worth it to avoid potential cybersecurity incidents. Technology company Microsoft confirmed that MFA can block more than 99%(!) of automated and bulk account compromise attacks, demonstrating its effectiveness.

  Best Practices
  When leveraging MFA at work, remember the following guidelines:

• Use approved methods. Adhere to company policies and any related documentation on how to set up MFA services across your workplace accounts. Use only approved methods, whether it’s a mobile authenticator application, biometric scanner, text messaging system, or hardware key.
• Pay attention to prompts. Be prepared to comply with MFA prompts when logging in to your workplace accounts (e.g., “Enter the unique code sent to your device.” or “Use facial recognition to approve login attempt.”), as these prompts must usually be completed within a brief time frame. However, never follow or approve prompts you didn’t initiate!
• Report suspicious activity. If you receive unexpected MFA requests, unusual prompts, or other login problems, report them immediately.

For More Information
Cybersecurity can be challenging, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Any employee with questions should reach out to their manager for more information.

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