(1) In lieu of the procedure established pursuant to ORS § 537.358, for any reservation pending on July 5, 1995, the state agency that requested the reservation may elect to have the proposed reservation considered:

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(a) As an application for a permit under ORS § 537.140 to 537.211 and 537.248; or

(b) As a rulemaking proceeding under the applicable provisions of ORS Chapter 183 in which case the provisions of ORS § 537.358 requiring a public interest review under ORS § 537.170 shall not be applicable.

(2) A state agency making any election under subsection (1) of this section shall submit a written request to the Water Resources Commission within 90 days after July 5, 1995. The commission shall proceed in accordance with the election made under subsection (1) of this section or, if an election is not submitted, according to the procedure established pursuant to ORS § 537.358.

(3) A reservation established under the provisions of this section shall have as a priority date the date established in rules of the commission in effect on July 5, 1995.

(4) When issuing a reservoir permit for a multipurpose storage project using water reserved or proposed to be reserved under a request originally filed by the Water Resources Department before June 5, 1992, the department shall grant a preference for the project under ORS § 537.352.

(5) Notwithstanding ORS § 537.356, the Water Resources Commission may accept requests to reserve unappropriated water before July 1, 1997, but shall not begin to process such requests before July 1, 1997. Any request to reserve unappropriated water submitted by the State Department of Agriculture before July 1, 1997, also shall consider municipal needs. The priority date of a request received in proper form by the Water Resources Commission after July 5, 1995, shall be the date of receipt. [1995 c.473 § 3; 1995 c.416 § 35b]

See note under 537.248.