Medford Water has worked diligently to maximize the existing water resources available to the City of Medford. Since our inception in 1922, we have developed and maintained comprehensive plans that outline current and future water needs and resources, with a focus on water resource management.
These management practices—such as protecting drinking water sources, performing effective water treatment and monitoring, and practicing efficient water system operation, maintenance, and construction—help assure safe drinking water is available for the approximately 150,000 residents of the Rogue Valley, now and into the future.
Where does your water come from?
A watershed is an area of land within which all rainfall and snowmelt reach a common body of water, whether flowing overland or underground. Watersheds are very important because the way the land is used affects the quality and quantity of water it produces. Groundwater, which is transmitted and stored beneath the land surface, may emerge in the form of springs or aquifers. Surface waters include rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.
Medford Water’s top priority is providing drinking water of the highest quality to our customers; we are fortunate to have two high- quality sources: Big Butte Springs, a groundwater source, and the Rogue River, a surface water source.
Two different watersheds supply these drinking water sources: the Big Butte Springs Watershed, and the Rogue River Watershed. The Big Butte Springs Watershed is actually a smaller watershed within the Rogue River Watershed (see the map at right).
Find out more about our water sources, the watersheds that supply them, and how we protect them, below.
