Let's Talk About Adjudication - March 2026
In this issue
New deadline
Publication of the legal notice
If you see your name in the newspaper
Next steps
After you file
New court notification procedures
Events
A few questions answered
Resources
Whatcom County Superior Court update
Publication of the legal notice
Ecology is required by state water law (RCW 90.03.130) to notify identified water users about the WRIA 1 adjudication using specific legal methods (see January issue of our e-newsletter). In March 2025, we began this process by sending summons packets by certified mail. Starting the week of March 16, 2026, Ecology will publish a legal notice in the Cascadia Daily and Skagit Valley Herald newspapers. That notice will list the names of identified water users who were not successfully served with a summons This . The published list will include:
- Names only, not addresses or other personal information.
- Names taken from publicly available county property records.
The legal notice with the list of names will run once a week for six consecutive weeks. Landowners listed in the newspaper will have until June 1, 2027, to file their court claim form with the Whatcom County Superior Court.
The Whatcom County newspaper, the Cascadia Daily, will include all the claimant names, and the Skagit County newspaper, the Skagit Valley Herald, will list only the Skagit County claimant names.
If you see your name in the newspaper
If your name is listed in the newspaper, it means Ecology was unable to serve you a summons packet. The published notice becomes your formal legal notice that you are a landowner in WRIA 1 who is within the area of a recorded water right or is outside a public water system service area.
You may see your name in the newspaper even though you do not need to file a form. You only need to file an adjudication claim if you use your own water (not as part of a group or water system customer) within WRIA 1 boundaries. You may be listed for legal reasons even though you no longer own affected property.
Next steps - join the thousands of others who’ve already filed
If you use water directly from surface water or groundwater in WRIA 1, even for small uses such as for a residential private well, filing a court claim form is your responsibility as a landowner. It’s the only way to protect your right to legally use water.
Check out our guide to filing your court claim form for step-by-step instructions. To summarize, we recommend you:
1. Review the summons packet. It includes the summons, instructions, and the court claim form. You can view it online on our website or print any of the documents.
2. Get FREE court claim form help if you need it
3. Decide how to file. All claim forms must be filed with the Whatcom County Superior Court.
- Online (recommended): Use the court’s Guide and File system. Chrome, Edge, or Firefox work best. You can also upload your completed form through the court’s eFile system. If you need internet or a computer, visit a Whatcom County Library branch.
- Paper: Print a court claim form or pick up a summons packet at Ecology’s Bellingham Field Office. Fill it out in pen and hand-deliver it to the court. Paper forms must be submitted single-sided.
- It costs $25 to file online or in-person plus service fees. Personal checks are not accepted. If you cannot pay the fee, you can apply for a waiver in person at Whatcom County Superior Court.
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After you file
Once you file, it may be a while before you hear from us regarding your court claim form. Make sure the court has your current contact information and that you stay aware of Ecology and court communications. Here are a few ways to do that:
Postcard regarding new court notification procedures
In mid-March, many of you will receive a postcard in the mail announcing a change in how the Whatcom County Superior Court will provide updates for the WRIA 1 adjudication. Starting immediately, the court will post hearings, orders, deadlines, and motions on an official docket instead of sending these notifications by mail.
You can view the docket sheet on the court’s website. We encourage you to sign up for their e-newsletter for the most current court information.
If you receive this postcard but did not receive a summons packet, reach out to us.
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Events
Get free court claim form assistance at your local Whatcom County library branch. Registration required.
During your appointment, you’ll meet for 30-minutes with a technical assistance specialist who can answer questions about your court claim form. If your situation involves complex water‑usage, such as for multiple properties, please schedule a free appointment with us in person at the Bellingham Field Office or online (virtual).
Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
A few questions answered
Question: I didn’t see my name in the newspaper notice. Does that mean I don’t need to file a court claim form?
Response: If you received a summons packet in the mail, that serves as your official legal notice. Your name will not appear in the newspaper, but you still need to file a court claim form if you use water directly in WRIA 1. Feel free to contact us if you’re unsure.
Question: I don’t want my name to be listed in the newspaper notice. Can you remove it?
Response: If we don’t have a record showing that you were served by December 2025, your name must be included in the newspaper. The law requires the list of names to be published once a week for six consecutive weeks to ensure that everyone receives notice. Because of that requirement, we’re unable to remove individual names.
Question: I don't use water in WRIA 1, and want to be dismissed from the adjudication, but now I see my name listed in the newspaper. How do I get dismissed?
Response: Even if you have asked to be dismissed from the adjudication, you have a right to notifications from the court until that happens. The newspaper publication is an important step in that process. Ecology will ask the court to dismiss people who don’t use water in WRIA 1. In the meantime, we want to make sure that no one is removed by mistake or misses an important update before any dismissals happen.
Question: I see my name in the paper, and it’s listed in all capital letters, while other names are in lowercase. Does that mean anything?
Response: No. Some names are in all upper case, and some are not. That’s just how the text was formatted in our data sources.
Resources
Contact Ecology with your questions
Information and tools
New videos
All of our videos can be found on our Nooksack (WRIA 1) adjudication website.
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.
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