Let's Talk About Adjudication - March 2025
Special Edition
In this issue
We mailed adjudication documents on March 17
Review the documents
One year to file
Ways to file
The $25 filing fee
Resources
We mailed adjudication documents on March 17
On March 17, we sent adjudication documents via certified mail to all landowners in Water Resources Inventory Area (WRIA) 1 who are within the area of a recorded water right or outside a public water system service area. If you use water directly from surface or groundwater in WRIA 1, you need to file a court claim form, even for small uses like single homes on wells.
Filing a court claim form is your responsibility as a landowner and it’s the only way to protect your right to legally use water.
All identified water users should receive an attempted delivery of the adjudication packet between March 18 and 25. If you miss your postal carrier, look at the instructions on the notice that was left on your door or mailbox for pick up at your local post office or redelivery.
If you want to start the filing process before you receive your mailing, that’s great! We recommend you use the Guide and File system (see Ways to File) as soon as it’s available on the court website. You can take a look at the adjudication documents including the claimant list on our webpage.
If you need paper forms or a new packet:
- Get a fillable or downloadable form and view the packet contents online.
- Contact us for instructions to pick up a packet from the Bellingham Field Office or other Ecology office after April 12.
Learn more about the adjudication process and how we identified claimants:
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Review the documents and gather your information
As part of the adjudication process, you will be asked to describe your past and current water use. The instructions provide a step-by-step guide on how to fill out the court claim form.
Set aside some time: It may take you anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours or more to complete the filing process.
Learn more
- Watch this video: How to file a court claim form.
- Estimate your water use with Whatcom County Public Works water use calculators.
- Check out the WRIA 1 map tool to find out if you have a water right document on file with Ecology. You can also watch a video to learn how to use the map tool.
- Get your well report by going to Ecology's Well Report Viewer. If your well is recorded, the report has important information such as well depth and the tag number that will help you submit the claim form.
- Find out when your home was first built and get your property parcel number with the well.
- Find out if water was used on the property before the house was first built. If so, you can learn more by looking at historical photos on the Whatcom Conservation District’s website: Historical Aerial Photos of Whatcom County.
You have one year to file, but don't wait until the last minute
You have more than a year to file your claim form. But we encourage you to file as soon as you can. It gives you more time to do any necessary research and to get your questions answered. Check the date on your summons so you know when your claim form is due.
Ways to file
You will file your court claim form in Whatcom County Superior Court regardless of the county of water use.
This form is best filed online using Whatcom County Superior Court’s Guide and File system. It’s user-friendly and has the feel of Turbo Tax. If you need an internet connection or access to a computer, you can visit a Whatcom County Library System branch.
- Online using Guide and File
- Create an account (email address required) and submit your form electronically, or
- Download the completed form and submit a paper copy using the instructions for paper below (email address not required).
- Paper
- Hand-deliver a single-sided, signed original court claim form to:
Whatcom County Superior Court
311 Grand Avenue, Suite 301
Bellingham, WA 98225
If you need to mail your form, contact us first for instructions.
- eFile
- If you are an attorney or a legal representative, you will not be able to use Guide and File. You will need to complete the claim form and then file it electronically. Go to the Whatcom County Superior Court website for more information about e-filing.
It costs $25 to file
- If you’re filing online, you will pay by credit card or e-check. There is an additional $1 service fee for using Guide and File.
- If you are paying in person, you can pay by cash, cashier’s check, money order, credit card, or debit card.
- If you are paying by mail, you must pay by cashier’s check or money order. You will also need to include adequate postage, or your form will be returned to you.
Keep in mind
- Personal checks are not accepted.
- If you cannot pay the fee, you may apply for a fee waiver in person at the Whatcom County Superior Court.
Whatcom County Superior Court
311 Grand Avenue, Suite 301
Bellingham, WA 98225
Resources
Contact us
Learn more
Language access
If you have difficulty understanding English or have a disability, free language assistance or other aids and services are available upon request. Please call 360-407-6872.
Si necesita ayuda para entender esta información, ofrecemos servicios gratuitos de traducción e interpretación, así como Braille y ASL para personas con discapacidades. Para solicitar estos servicios, llame al 360-255-4406.
Если вам нужна помощь в понимании этой информации, мы предоставляем бесплатные услуги письменного и устного перевода, а также информацию шрифтом Брайля и на американском языке жестов (American Sign Language, ASL) для людей с инвалидностью. Чтобы запросить эти услуги, позвоните по телефону 360-255-4406.
ਜੇਕਰ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਝਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਦਦ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ, ਅਸੀਂ ਮੁਫ਼ਤ ਅਨੁਵਾਦ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਆਖਿਆ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ, ਅਤੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਅਸਮਰਥ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਲਈ ਬ੍ਰੇਲ ਅਤੇ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਸੰਕੇਤ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ (American Sign Language, ASL) ਵੀ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹਨ। ਇਹਨਾਂ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ, 360-255-4406 'ਤੇ ਕਾਲ ਕਰੋ।
Adjudication is a legal process in Whatcom County Superior Court between the Washington
Department of Ecology and all local water users in Water Resources Area (WRIA) 1. It requires water users to self-report their water use in a form online or on paper. The court will make a decision that lists water uses in priority (old to new), including where and how much water is legal on each parcel of land. This adjudication does not involve criminal proceedings or penalties. It does not change the current law on water use.
For more information, please visit our Nooksack Adjudication website.
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