Oregon

Summary

Through STATEMAP, Earth MRI, and NGGDPP, the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) is tackling water scarcity, supporting tribal and state water planning, digitizing decades of assay records for critical mineral tracking, and producing new maps in areas with world-class lithium and cobalt resources.

STATEMAP

  • Focus: Addressing water scarcity challenges in eastern Oregon.
  • 2025 Projects:
    • Harney Basin and Walla Walla Basin (areas of groundwater concern).
    • Mapping feeds directly into Oregon Department of Water Resources databases.
    • Collaboration with Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation hydrologists in the Walla Walla Basin.

NGGDPP (Data Preservation)

  • Digitizing and importing historical assay records (1937–1986) into the Mineral Information Layer for Oregon (MILO), https://www.oregon.gov/dogami/milo/pages/index.aspx:
    • 24,000 assay records completed, with 17,000 more in progress.
    • Records cover more than 25 critical minerals (2022 USGS list) with location accuracy to within one square mile.
  • Data originates from a historic crowdsourcing program where the Oregon Legislature provided assay results to residents – now being preserved and modernized for long-term use.

Earth MRI

  • McDermitt Caldera (SE Oregon):
    • Producing new 1:24,000-scale maps of North America’s largest lithium claystone resource.
    • Data will support state and federal permitting for international exploration companies currently drilling.
  • Grant County (eastern Oregon):
    • New mapping of historic cobalt deposits with County Commissioners and claim-owner support.
    • DOGAMI contributed its own airborne geophysical survey.
    • Waste piles and mineral systems also rich in other critical minerals.
  • Future Projects: Will focused on nickel and antimony resource areas:

Impact for Oregon:

  • Provides direct decision-making support for groundwater management in water-stressed basins.
  • Preserves and modernizes decades of assay data, offering industry and government a rich critical minerals dataset.
  • Positions Oregon at the forefront of battery element resource development, with lithium and cobalt projects of global importance.
  • Builds strong partnerships with tribes, counties, and industry to responsibly develop mineral and water resources.
  • Geological Maps at 1:24,000 scale are a direct Key Performance Measure for DOGAMI and progress is reported to the Oregon Legislature on a yearly basis.