Oregon water regulators have rejected a petition to restrict groundwater pumping by large dairies within a 257-square-mile area in Umatilla and Morrow counties. The Oregon Water Resources Commission voted unanimously Dec. 15 to deny the request by Stand Up to Factory Farms, a coalition of environmental groups and others, to establish a 5,000-gallon daily limit on water withdrawals by new or expanded âconcentrated animal feeding operationsâ in the region. Under the stateâs stockwatering exemption, water can be diverted or pumped for livestock without a water rights permit from the Oregon Water Resources Department, which is overseen by the commission. Stand Up to Factory Farms contended that âmega dairiesâ and other CAFOs should be stopped from relying on this exemption to use âunlimited amounts of waterâ in the two groundwater critical areas in Northeastern Oregon.