Can you drill a well without a permit in Oregon?

Exempt — no permit or water right. Single or group domestic groundwater use up to 15,000 gpd is exempt from permitting, but the exemption can be limited inside designated Critical Groundwater Areas.

Which Oregon counties have groundwater restrictions?

17 Oregon counties sit in a managed, over-appropriated, adjudicated, or critically overdrafted groundwater basin — including Marion County, Wasco County, Gilliam County, Harney County, Malheur County. Each county profile cites the specific basin and rule.

Oregon · off-grid water rights

Water rights in Oregon

Whether a new off-grid home can legally get its own water in Oregon: the state well and water-rights rules, then the 17 counties where a specific groundwater basin adds a catch — each cited to the state water agency.

Oregon water rules

Household well
Exempt — no permit or water right
Single or group domestic groundwater use up to 15,000 gpd is exempt from permitting, but the exemption can be limited inside designated Critical Groundwater Areas.
Limit: 15,000 gpd domestic (plus stockwater and ≤0.5 acre lawn/garden) under ORS 537.545
Oregon Water Resources Department — Exempt Water Uses ↗
Greywater reuse
permitted
Type 1-3 systems all require a DEQ permit (annual fee); no exempt tier.
Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer ↗
Rainwater harvesting
regulated
Rooftop allowed without permit; larger cisterns may need a water right.
NCSL ↗
Water rights
hybrid
Appropriation + some historical riparian; stock/limited domestic exempt.
National Agricultural Law Center ↗

17 constrained counties in Oregon

Closed to new supplyMarion CountyAquifers Withdrawn from Appropriation (Mosier; Silverton)35
Closed to new supplyWasco CountyAquifers Withdrawn from Appropriation (Mosier; Silverton)48
Over-appropriatedGilliam CountyElla Butte Groundwater-Limited Area52
Over-appropriatedHarney CountyHarney Basin Critical Groundwater Area / SWMPA43
Over-appropriatedMalheur CountyCow Valley Critical Groundwater Area45
Over-appropriatedMorrow CountyUmatilla Basin Critical Groundwater Areas (Ordnance, Butter Creek, Stage Gulch)53
Over-appropriatedUmatilla CountyUmatilla Basin Critical Groundwater Areas (Ordnance, Butter Creek, Stage Gulch)57
Over-appropriatedWashington CountyCooper-Bull Mountain Critical Groundwater Area35
Actively managedClackamas CountyNorthern Willamette Valley Groundwater-Limited Areas38
Actively managedCoos CountySouth Coast Restrictively Classified Area51
Actively managedCurry CountySmith River Restrictively Classified Area53
Actively managedLake CountyFort Rock Groundwater-Limited Area47
Actively managedPolk CountyNorthern Willamette Valley Groundwater-Limited Areas47
Actively managedYamhill CountyNorthern Willamette Valley Groundwater-Limited Areas48
ManagedCrook CountyUpper Deschutes Basin Groundwater Mitigation Program Area50
ManagedDeschutes CountyUpper Deschutes Basin Groundwater Mitigation Program Area38
ManagedJefferson CountyUpper Deschutes Basin Groundwater Mitigation Program Area52

The Bolthole Index Letter

One email a week: the best counties to live off-grid, rule changes that matter, and Oregon water-rule changes as basins close. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Keep exploring Oregon

See the full Oregon county ranking, compare states on the water-rights hub, or read how water access is scored. Physical water is dimmed — never erased — where a county sits in one of these basins, household-first.

General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.