The Department’s role is to protect existing water rights by preventing excessive groundwater declines, restoring aquifer stability, and preserving aquifers with limited storage capacity for designated high public value uses. The Department has several administrative tools for the management of the state's groundwater resources. New uses of groundwater may be restrictively classified within the basin programs. Unappropriated groundwater may be withdrawn from further appropriation by an order of the Water Resources Commission. A critical groundwater area boundary may be established by rule and restrictions to existing groundwater uses within the critical area may be designated by a contested case hearing and order of the commission.There are 14 areas in Oregon in which groundwater has been restrictively classified. The limitations to new groundwater uses are listed in the pertinent basin programs. The Fort Rock area is within the Goose and Summer Lakes Basin (OAR 690-513). The Ella Butte area is within the Umatilla Basin (OAR 690-507). There are 12 such areas, known as groundwater limited areas, in the northern Willamette Valley, including both the Willamette and Sandy basins (OAR 690-502 & OAR 690-503). These areas are in the following approximate locations: Sandy-Boring, Damascus, Gladtidings, Kingston, Mt. Angel, Sherwood-Dammasch-Wilsonville, Stayton-Sublimity, Parrett Mountain, Chehalem Mountain, Eola Hills, South Salem Hills, and Amity Hills-Walnut Hill.There are seven critical groundwater areas in Oregon. Four of these, the Ordnance Gravel Critical Groundwater Area, Ordnance Basalt Critical Groundwater Area, Butter Creek Critical Groundwater Area and Stage Gulch Critical Groundwater Area, are all within the Umatilla Basin. The Cow Valley Critical Groundwater Area is in the Malheur Basin. The Dalles Critical Groundwater Area is in the Hood Basin. The Cooper-Bull Mountain Critical Groundwater Area is in the Willamette Basin.There are two areas in Oregon for which the commission has issued orders withdrawing specific aquifers from further appropriation. One is near Mosier in the Hood Basin. The other is near Silverton in the Willamette Basin.In most of the above restricted areas, the limitations apply only to the specific aquifer that has had water-level declines or other problems documented. In some cases, groundwater may still be available at a different depth from a different aquifer. As more wells are drilled, the Department may find other areas where use of groundwater must be limited.