Oregon Revised Statutes Water Resources: Irrigation, Drainage, Flood Control, Reclamation § 540.550

All attempted transfers or sales, prior to March 6, 1931, to an irrigation district, of water rights which theretofore had been appurtenant to lands located in the district and which lands at the time of the attempted transfer or sale were owned by the county, shall be considered to be legal and binding, and the water rights which were appurtenant to such lands shall be considered to have become the property of the district to which attempted to be conveyed, but appurtenant only to lands within the boundaries of the district as they existed on March 6, 1931, if the irrigation district applied to the Water Resources Director, within five years after March 6, 1931, under the provisions of section 47-712, Oregon Code 1930, as amended by chapter 102, Oregon Laws 1931, to have the water rights made appurtenant to other lands within the irrigation district. In that event, the county shall sell the lands without any water rights being appurtenant thereto. If the irrigation district failed within five years after March 6, 1931, to make such application, then title to the water rights shall be considered to have been forfeited.