The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) announced it will begin an adjudication of water rights in Water Resources Inventory Area 1 (WRIA1), including the Nooksack River system, in April 2024. An adjudication is the process of determining the location, quantity, and priority of all water rights held in a certain area. Water use in Washington is prioritized using the “first in time, first in right” system, meaning that in times of water scarcity, water uses that began earlier have priority over uses that began later. The adjudication will apply to all water users in WRIA1 who do not get their water from a water utility.

Key Takeaways

• The adjudication process will formally kick off when Ecology files a complaint in Whatcom County Superior Court, triggering the court to issue summonses with claims forms for water users to return.
• Water users will have one year to return the claims form with supporting evidence. Failure to participate could result in forfeiture of water rights.
• Rights to use water from permit-exempt wells will be adjudicated.

An Adjudication with a Broad Scope

Although Ecology has been referring to the upcoming adjudication as the “Nooksack adjudication,” the adjudication will include all surface and groundwater in WRIA1, including areas not hydrologically connected to the Nooksack River system. This includes areas such as Point Roberts and Lummi Island. The adjudication also includes permit-exempt wells, i.e., wells supplying less than 5,000 gallons per day.

One Year to Provide Evidence

Ecology is using Whatcom County property records to identify property owners in rural areas that are not covered by a water service territory. After Ecology files the complaint, the Whatcom County Superior Court will take a few weeks to prepare summonses to all the property owners Ecology has identified and send them out with the forms for claimants to return. Failure to participate could result in forfeiture of water rights.

Ecology has prepared two types of forms for water users, which would be included in the court’s summons. The short form is for users who use less than 500 gallons per day, and the longer form is for users in excess of that. Ecology received public comments on these forms in March of 2024 and may revise them before the court sends the summonses.

After receiving a summons, each water user has one year to return the forms with supporting evidence. The user must respond to the summons and file a claim even if they already have a certificated water right. After receiving the forms, Ecology will prepare Reports of Findings. Water users will be notified of the report and can object to the findings. The court will rule on Ecology’s report and water users’ objections and then issue Conditional Final Orders and, eventually, a final decree. The state legislature has allocated funding, to begin in June of 2024, for a Water Commissioner for Whatcom County Superior Court to do much of this work.

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