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Water Right, New
(Permit to Withdraw or Divert Surface or Ground Water)
What is the Purpose of this Permit?
The waters of Washington State collectively belong to the public and cannot be owned by any one individual or group. Instead, individuals or groups may be granted rights to use them. A water right is a legal authorization to use a defined quantity of public water for a designated purpose.
Washington State law requires certain users of public waters to receive approval from the state prior to use of the water - in the form of a water right permit or certificate. Any use of surface of water (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, or springs) requires a water-right permit or certificate. Likewise, ground-water withdrawals require a water-right permit or certificate, with the following exceptions:
Stock watering
Single or group domestic purposes using less than 5000 gallons per day
Industrial purposes using less than 5000 gallons per day
Watering a lawn or non-commercial garden that is not larger than one-half acre
Who issues this Permit?
Department of Ecology
What Activities Require this Permit?
To withdraw water except as listed above.
How Much Will this Permit Cost?
Application: Varies depending on amount of water, $50 minimum. The fee to appropriate new water will be assessed at the rate of $1 per one hundredth cubic foot per second (cfs), and the fee for new water-storage projects will be $2 per acre-foot of storage. The maximum application fee to appropriate or store water is $25,000.
Where Can I Get the Application for this Permit?
The application which is called 'Application for a Water Right', is online and can be downloaded at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/ecy040114.html.
Schematic:
View the schematic
.
Legal Authority:
Links:
Statewide Contact:
Water Resources Program
Headquarters
300 Desmond Drive
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Telephone: (360) 407-6600
Fax: (360) 407-7162
Website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/wrhome.html
* Permit information last updated 7/17/2008.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. All Rights Reserved.