| The Washington Department of Ecology announced this afternoon (5/2/24) that the Nooksack Adjudication was accepted for filing by the Whatcom County Superior Court. Thus begins the legal process to determine legitimate water use rights in Whatcom County and the priority date for those users. Water users do NOT need to file their claims yet! That process will begin after the Court issues a Summons to the many users. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: 1. Later this year, you will receive certified mail including a summons, instructions and court claim forms. 2. If you use water directly from surface or groundwater, you must follow the instructions and file a court claim form. If you only use water from a city or other public service, you do not need to file a form. 3. Even small groundwater uses that do not require permits, including single homes on wells, still need to file a claim form. 4. You do not need a water meter to submit your required court claim form. From the Department of Ecology Newsletter: Adjudication process formally begins – On May 1, Ecology submitted legal documents with the Whatcom County Superior Court, which formally began the adjudication process and established the Court’s jurisdiction. Water users are not yet required to respond or file claims. The filing documents will be online at the WRIA 1 Adjudication Filings page and available for on-site review at the Whatcom County libraries in Lynden and Ferndale, and by appointment only at the Northwest Region Bellingham Field Office. In the coming months, Ecology will send a formal notice, called a summons, by certified mail to all property owners in WRIA 1 (the Nooksack watershed and nearby areas) who are within the area of a recorded water right or outside a public water system service area. The adjudication does not include people who only use water from a public water system like a city connection. Learn more at: ecology.wa.gov/nooksack-adjudication As more information is release we will continue to keep you up to date! ~Andi |
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