In the Spring of 2007, local water resource agencies met to discuss the feasibility of transferring the ownership of Scoggins Dam from the US Bureau of Reclamation to local ownership. Resolutions were passed by local councils and boards for each of the existing contract holders in Scoggins Dam to pursue study of Title Transfer including:

Tualatin Valley Irrigation District City of Hillsboro City of Forest Grove Lake Oswego Corp.		Clean Water Services City of Beaverton Washington County
Other water supply partners* and supporters also passed resolutions including:

City of Tigard* City of Tualatin City of North Plains

Hillsboro Utilities Commission Tigard Intergovernmental Water Board TVWD*

Title transfer offers several potential benefits to both local water resource managers and the Federal government. Local ownership and control of facilities and water rights will reduce decision-making complexity, improve flexibility and allow for the more efficient management of water resources in the Tualatin Basin. Title transfer would also allow the Federal government to divest itself of responsibility for ongoing operation, maintenance, replacement, management, regulation of and liability for the project.

Local water resource agencies currently own and operate Barney Reservoir which provides municipal water and river flow augmentation water for communities in the Tualatin Basin. Coordination of dam operations could be improved with local ownership of the Tualatin Project. Local ownership could also offer significant time and cost savings for future improvement to the facilities.

Some or all facilities known as the Tualatin Project could be transferred including Scoggins Dam; Hagg Lake and the adjoining recreational facilities operated by Washington County; and irrigation pipes, pumps and other facilities operated by TVID. These facilities are currently owned by the US Bureau of Reclamation. The transfer would also include operation and maintenance responsibilities, legal liability and regulatory requirements.

The study of Title Transfer has also received letters of support from: