The Nooksack River Basin (Water Resource Inventory Area 1, WRIA 1) is undergoing a legal process to officially determine all legal water rights in the basin. Led by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), this process aims to clarify where and how much water use is legally allowed and how much water should remain in the streams. Instead of handling individual permits or issues one by one, this process will create a comprehensive legal management system confirming legal rights to use water.
City of Bellingham Involvement
The City of Bellingham holds two major water rights (Lake Whatcom and Middle Fork Nooksack River) and is participating in the adjudication on behalf of its water customers. Customers do not need to take any action and will not be individually summoned. The City expects no significant changes in its ability to serve current and future water customers.
Estimated Timeline
In April 2024, Ecology will begin issuing summonses. (Bellingham water customers will not be summoned.)
After summonses are served, those summoned will have two years to gather and submit evidence to Ecology.
Once evidence is collected, the court will begin its decision-making process. Ecology estimates a 10–20-year timeframe for a final resolution of all water rights in the Nooksack basin.
Stay Informed
If you are a City of Bellingham water customer and want to learn more about the process, the Department of Ecology is the primary source of information:
