The City seeks public comments on an update to the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit Co-management Agreement

Published

July 23, 2026 4:59 pm

In this article

The City of Portland Water Bureau and the U.S. Forest Service invite community members, stakeholders, and Tribal partners to provide comments on the draft updated Bull Run Watershed Management Unit Co-Management Agreement. This Agreement guides how the two agencies jointly protect and manage the Bull Run Watershed-the primary drinking water source for almost 840,000 people in the Portland region.

The 2026 Bull Run Agreement strengthens and modernizes the longstanding partnership between the Portland Water Bureau and the U.S. Forest Service. While maintaining the core mission of protecting Portland's drinking water, the Agreement reflects two decades of accomplishments, adds new responsibilities-such as cultural resource management and tribal engagement-and increases transparency and public involvement. It also simplifies management by aligning landownership with agency responsibilities and updating plans governing roads, fire protection, access, and environmental stewardship.

Together, these changes ensure that the Bull Run Watershed continues to be protected for current and future generations.

How to participate and submit comments:

We welcome your feedback on any part of the draft Agreement.

Your input helps ensure that the Agreement supports responsible stewardship of the watershed now and into the future.

Comments may be submitted by emailing [email protected] through September 1, 2026.

View the draft Agreement

Background information

The Bull Run Watershed Management Unit Agreement is a 20 year co-management framework between the City of Portland Water Bureau and the U.S. Forest Service (Mt. Hood National Forest) that governs stewardship of Portland's primary drinking water source pursuant to Public Law 95-200, commonly known as the Bull Run Act. It updates the 2007 Agreement to reflect completed initiatives-such as the 2022 land exchange, road system realignment, and refined operational roles-and establishes a modernized, streamlined approach to joint management.

Purpose

The Agreement ensures the agencies jointly protect and manage the watershed to:

• Secure the continuous production of pure, clear, raw potable water, the core mandate of the Bull Run Act.
• Meet federal and local requirements for drinking water, environmental protection, and cultural resource stewardship.
• Maintain forest health, habitat, and ecosystem resilience through coordinated land and water management.

Key Features

• Clear division of responsibilities:
  The City leads drinking water operations, roads, monitoring, public education, and management on City lands. The Forest Service leads fire management, natural resource stewardship on federal lands, cultural resources on federal lands, and Tribal engagement. Many functions are co-led, such as security and closure enforcement.
  
• Shared stewardship principles:
  The Agreement emphasizes sustainability, ecosystem protection, transparency, and support for scientific research that does not jeopardize water quality.
  
• Functional Plans:
  Operational documents-such as the Access SOPs, Fire Preparedness Plan, Road Management Plan and Research Access Policy-guide implementation and are updated regularly.
  
• Emergency Coordination:
  Uses the Incident Command System (ICS). Lead roles are predefined by event type (e.g., Forest Service leads fires; City leads floods, landslides, spills).
  
• Tribal Engagement:
  Forest Service leads overall engagement; each agency leads formal consultation for projects on its own lands.
  
• Community Engagement:
  To support transparency, annual public meetings are held and a list of watershed activities is made available to the public.
  
• Conservation Education:
  The City leads conservation/water resources education efforts through the Bull Run Watershed tour program; this includes field trips with local/regional schools in the spring and fall, as well as adult community group tours in the summer/early fall.

Governance & Oversight

• Regular leadership meetings and continuous communication support joint decision making.
• The Agreement undergoes review every five years to incorporate changed circumstances while preserving original intent.
• A structured dispute resolution process is included, progressing from leadership engagement to mediation if needed.

How is the new Agreement different than the 2007 Agreement?

The updated 2026 Bull Run Watershed Management Unit Agreement modernizes the co-management framework between the City of Portland Water Bureau and the U.S. Forest Service. While it continues the longstanding partnership focused on protecting Portland's drinking water source, it introduces several important updates that reflect 20 years of completed work, new laws, and evolving stewardship priorities.

High-level summary of changes

Below is a high-level summary of what has changed.

Reflects 20 Years of Completed Work and Modern Conditions

Many objectives from the 2007 Agreement have been completed, and the new Agreement removes outdated elements.
Examples include:

• The Bull Run Land Exchange has been completed (finalized in 2022), aligning ownership of federal and City lands with each agency's mission.
• The City now leads the maintenance and management of the transportation system, supported by a 2022 Road Management Plan and a permanent road easement.
• Unmaintained and unnecessary legacy roads have been decommissioned to enhance watershed protections, leaving a sustainable road system designed to serve water operations and wildfire response.

Expanded Focus on Stewardship, Cultural Resources, and Tribal Engagement

The 2026 Agreement notably broadens the definition of stewardship. It introduces:

• Cultural resource protection, including historic properties and archaeological sites (a Historic Properties Management Plan is being drafted).
• Formal Tribal engagement and consultation responsibilities, led by the Forest Service on federal lands and by the City on City-owned lands.
• Clearer commitments to public transparency, including education programs, public meetings, and an online list of watershed activities.

The 2007 Agreement did not include cultural resources or tribal engagement as defined roles.

Updated Roles and Responsibilities

The new Agreement presents a revised roles/responsibilities table that:

• Reaffirms shared authority for security and access management.
• Clarifies lead/support roles for all major functions (fire, roads, water monitoring, water resources education, etc.).
• Adds cultural resources and tribal engagement.

Compared to 2007, the modern version:

• Reflects the City's expanded role in roads and access.
• Reflects federal and City obligations under new plans (e.g., Habitat Conservation Plan, Section 106 compliance).

Updates to Emergency Response Framework

Both Agreements rely on the Incident Command System.
The new Agreement:

• Updates lead roles for each emergency type and clarifies county leadership in search and rescue.
• References new and updated emergency plans (e.g., Bull Run Fire Preparedness Plan).

Stronger Public Engagement and Education Requirements

The 2007 Agreement included public involvement and education but was less specific.
The 2026 Agreement adds:

• Required annual public meeting.
• A quarterly updated public webpage listing watershed activities.
• City-led education programs to support public transparency.

These reflect a more deliberate and ongoing engagement and education strategy.

Modernized Structure and Appendices

The new Agreement incorporates or references current plans and policies, including:

• Updated access policies
• Updated fire plan
• Updated road easement and management plan
• New cultural resources policies
• Updated federal closure orders
• Updated research access policy

These were not included or had not yet been developed in 2007.