Filing deadline for water rights claims extended to June 2027

Water users in Whatcom and Skagit counties affected by Water Resources Inventory Area 1 water rights adjudication have had their filing deadlines extended by 13 months following a March 9 Whatcom County Superior Court decision.

The new filing deadline is June 1, 2027.

Originally, water users served in the adjudication - a legal process requiring water users to file claims with the Whatcom County Superior Court - had one year from the date of notification to file their claims.

In spring 2025, 22,000 individuals, home and property owners, businesses and organizations received notifications from Ecology. Their original deadline to file their claims with the Whatcom County Superior Court was May 1, 2026. The new June 1, 2027 date aligns the deadline for that initial group with remaining water users who were not able to be notified by certified mail. The court determined all water users would have the same deadline to avoid confusion.

The Washington Department of Ecology, which is overseeing the adjudications process, is required to serve the remaining water users by publication - a legal notice in a local newspaper of record. The list includes landowners who live outside of the country, along with some names listed on historic water rights with no address available.

Beginning the week of March 16, legal notices will be published once a week for six weeks in two local newspapers. The Cascadia Daily News legal notice will contain names of all the remaining people who need to be notified, while Skagit Valley Publishing (Skagit Valley Herald/goskagit.com) will list only the names with parcels in Skagit County. These newspapers are designated by Whatcom and Skagit counties as legal papers of record. Only names will be published; no other information such as addresses will be included.

Robin McPherson, Ecology's adjudications manager, said in addition to being required by state law, publishing names in the newspaper is another step toward ensuring fairness in the adjudication process.

"There are many reasons why people might not have been served earlier, such as incorrect addresses," she said. "If we don't know you got a letter, your name is on the list. We want to be sure that as many people as possible have the chance to protect their water rights."

The WRIA 1 adjudication is a legal process that requires all water users who don't get their water from a group or utility to submit a claim detailing their water use to the Whatcom County Superior Court. The court will use the claims to determine the extent, validity and seniority of their water rights.

Free claim filing assistance is available either by booking an appointment online, sending questions via e-mail or leaving a message at 360-255-4406.