Let's Talk About Adjudication - November 2025
In this issue
How to get another copy of a court claim form
Need assistance? We'll come to you.
File your court claim form now
WRIA 1 adjudication upcoming events
Beneficial use
A few questions answered
Can't find your court claim form? Here's how to get another copy
Back in March, Ecology mailed out adjudication summons and court claim forms to anyone within the area of a recorded water right or outside a public water system service area in WRIA 1. For those who received the mailing months ago, we know how easy it is for paperwork to get misplaced. Maybe it’s tucked into a drawer, buried under a stack of mail, or accidentally thrown away. If you’re having trouble locating yours, don’t worry - we’ve got you covered. You can file directly online through the court’s Guide and File system, or download a fillable form on Ecology’s website. You can also stop by our Bellingham Field office during regular business hours for another copy.
Remember: You need to file a court claim form by May 1, 2026, to protect your property values and legally use water in the future. This deadline will stay in place unless the court changes it.
|
FIle your court claim form now
If you need help, just reach out, and we can help you fill out your court claim form by phone or email, or in person. Check out the upcoming events section below for additional assistance.
If you’re one of the nearly 1,200 people who’ve already filed, please reply to this email and tell us what motivated you to file early. Here’s what someone from your community recently shared:
After reviewing information and reading up on the process, I decided to just get it done. Once I started, I found out I had been worrying about nothing. It was easy to fill out and only required some cursory digging on the assessors' site but certainly not as complicated than I had imagined. A.B, landowner.
Traveling adjudication support
If you're part of a community of 10 or more homeowners and need assistance with filling out your court claim forms, we can help. We'll bring technical support directly to your group and guide you step by step through the process.
Reach out to us and we'll get a date on the calendar!
WRIA 1 adjudication upcoming events
Court hearings
All hearings are public, but you do not need to attend a hearing to file a court claim form.
Lummi Tribal Court (Traveling court hearing)
Nov. 10, 2025, at 9 a.m.
2665 Kwina Rd, Bellingham, WA
Whatcom County Superior Court
Dec. 15, 2025, at 9 a.m.
311 Grand Ave, Bellingham, WA
Live stream
Court claim form filing assistance
Nov. 10, 2025, 1-3 p.m.
Lummi Tribal Court
2665 Kwina Rd, Qwenes 1st floor, south conference room, Bellingham, WA
Hosted by Whatcom County Superior Court
Nov. 18 and Dec. 2, 2025, 5-7 p.m.
Rome Grange
2821 Mt. Baker Highway, Bellingham, WA
Registration is highly encouraged but not required. Call 360-778-6314.
Hosted by Whatcom County Public Works
By appointment. Individual sessions for the farming community.
Sign up for a free 30-minute meeting.
Hosted by the Ag Water Board of Whatcom County
 Photo: Ecology's court claim form workshop, Ferndale (October 2025)
Beneficial use and your court claim form
When you fill out sections B.1or C.2 of your court claim form, you’ll be asked about “beneficial use.”
Beneficial use of water is a legal term. It means how much water is used for a legal purpose (irrigation, domestic, commercial and many others). Water must be used for that right to be established and protected. The law requires us to ask about your beneficial use of water on the adjudication court claim form.
Here are a few tips to describe beneficial use on your court claim form.
Section B.1. First Beneficial Use Date. This means the date when water was used for a domestic purpose at the location you are claiming. The easiest way to locate this date is to find out when a house was first built on the property. You can use that date even if the current home or well isn’t the original one. If you’re unsure, check the Whatcom County or Skagit County Assessor records and scroll to Improvement/Building or Year Built.
Section C.2. Date the first steps were taken to put the water to beneficial use. This means the date water was used for the purpose (irrigation, stock, or other) that you are claiming on this form. You’ll want to know the date water was first applied to that purpose. If you have a certificate, a Proof of Appropriation or Water Right Claim, use the date listed as “beneficial use” or “Date of First Putting Water to Use.” If not, provide the best information you have.
If you use water for different purposes that started on different dates, it is easiest to claim them by using separate court claim forms. That way you can accurately report the beneficial use date for each purpose. If you have questions, reach out to us.
A few questions answered
Question: How do permit-exempt uses "stack"?
Response: Permit-exempt well users can “stack” exempt uses, meaning that they can use water for different permit-exempt purposes on the same property, even if they use the same well. Each different purpose may be entitled to a separate exemption, even if the total exceeds 5,000 gpd. These purposes can include domestic use, irrigation of a lawn and garden, industrial use, and stockwater. The quantities allowed for each purpose are additive. For example, a water user may:
- Irrigate up to a ½ acre of non-commercial lawn and garden.
- Use up to 5,000 gpd for industrial purposes.
- Provide water for stock animals.
Each permit-exemption is limited to one project. So, for a single project, you cannot have two domestic permit-exemptions or two industrial exemptions, even if there are multiple wells.
Question: How do I put my name as the claimant in Part A if the property is in a living trust?
Response: In Part A, list the official title of the living trust as the Claimant. In Part D, the authorized person (typically the trustee) should sign on behalf of the living trust. That person should also include their title on the title line, using “Trustee” or “Trustor,” to indicate their role.
Resources
Contact Ecology with your questions
Information and tools
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. This process 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. It 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.
|
