Water Right Documents posted by the Department of Ecology

Ecology Southwest Region Office (SWRO)
( Serving: Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, Wahkiakum counties )
Help Desk: 360-407-0278

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Water Right Documents:
Review or Comment

Welcome to the Water Resources Program Southwest Region Office (SWRO) public posting portal. Your input is valuable to our decision-making process. To view documents posted in other regions, use the links above.

Documents are posted here for a review or comment period. If a document is posted here for review, there may be an associated statutory appeal period. If there is no statutory appeal period or the appeal period has ended, the document is posted for public awareness only. If a document is posted here for comment, we are currently accepting public comments and our comment form is linked in the document table. To comment, you need the water right file number associated with the document you are interested in.

To receive a notice when we post documents, join our GovDelivery email list subscription. If you do not already have an account, an email address is all you need. As a new user, you will see a list of subscription topics to choose from. If you already have an account, click on “Subscriber Preferences”, then “Add Subscriptions”. Once you submit your preferences, you will receive emails from us as documents are posted. To change how often you receive email notifications for all subscriptions, click on the “Preferences” tab, then “Email Delivery Preference”.

Water Right Applications

Applications for New Water Rights and Reservoirs

Applications for new water rights and reservoirs include:

Application for a New Water Right
Application for a Surface Reservoir Permit
Application for an Underground Aquifer Storage and Recovery Reservoir Permit
Application for a Managed Aquifer Recharge Permit

We post complete applications for a 45-day review period. [Notices of water right applications are also published in local newspapers per RCW 90.03.280.]

There are no documents currently posted.

Applications for Water Right Change

Applications to change an existing water right include:

Application to Change or Transfer an Existing Water Right
Seasonal Change Application

We post complete applications for a 30-day review period. [Notices of water right applications are also published in local newspapers per RCW 90.03.280.]

There are no documents currently posted.

Water Right Draft and Final Decisions

New Water Right Reports of Examination (New ROEs)

We post Reports of Examination (ROEs) that describe our decision (approval or denial) on new water rights. Draft ROEs are posted for a 30-day comment period. Final ROEs are posted for a 45-day review period. For more information, contact the Southwest Region Help Desk at 360-407-0278 or email us at wrswro@ecy.wa.gov .

There are no documents currently posted.

End of Posting	New Water Right Draft Reports of Examination	County	WRIA	Links

End of Posting	New Water Right Reports of Examination	County	WRIA	Links
December 23, 2023	FINAL ROE for a New Water Right G2-30874	Clark	28-Salmon-Washougal	Pollution Control Hearing Board
December 23, 2023	FINAL ROE for a New Water Right S2-30873	Clark	28-Salmon-Washougal	Pollution Control Hearing Board

Reports of Examination for Water Right Change (Change ROEs)

We post Reports of Examination (ROEs) that describe our decision (approval or denial) to authorize change to an existing water right. Draft Change ROEs are posted for a 30-day comment period. Final Change ROEs are posted for a 45-day review period. For more information, contact the Southwest Region Help Desk at 360-407-0278 or email us at wrswro@ecy.wa.gov .

There are no documents currently posted.

Conservancy Board Records of Decision (RODs)

County Water Conservancy Boards (WCB) investigate applications for water right change and submit a Record of Decision (ROD) and Report of Examination (ROE) for review by Ecology. We post the WCB ROD-ROE here for a 30-day comment period. Ecology must review the WCB ROD-ROE and any submitted comments and make a decision. Ecology’s decision, issued as a final order, to affirm, modify, or reverse the WCB ROD-ROE, is posted here for a 45-day review period. Once Ecology's decision is posted for review, the associated WCB ROD-ROE may be viewed using our Water Rights Search . For more information, contact the Southwest Region Help Desk at 360-407-0278 or email us at wrswro@ecy.wa.gov .

There are no documents currently posted.

Permit Extensions

We post Permit Extension Decision Letters (Permit Extensions) that describe Ecology’s decision to extend the development schedule of a water right permit for a 45-day review period. For more information, contact the contact the Southwest Region Help Desk at 360-407-0278 or email us at wrswro@ecy.wa.gov .

End of Posting	Permit Extensions	County	WRIA	Links
January 1, 2024	Permit Extension Decision G2-27950	Clark	28-Salmon-Washougal	Pollution Control Hearing Board
January 1, 2024	Permit Extension Decision S2-30670	Clark	27-Lewis	Pollution Control Hearing Board

Short-term, Temporary, and Seasonal Change Authorizations

Short-term, Temporary, and Seasonal Change Authorizations we issue include:

Seasonal Change Report of Examination
Temporary Use Permit
Short-term Use Permit

We post Short-term, Temporary, and Seasonal Change Authorizations for a 45-day review period. For more information, contact the Southwest Region Help Desk at 360-407-0278 or email us at wrswro@ecy.wa.gov .

There are no documents currently posted.

Trust Water Rights Program

Water Banks

We post requests to establish new water banks for a 30-day comment period. We also post water banking agreements for a 30-day review period. For more information, contact the Southwest Region Help Desk at 360-407-0278 or email us at wrswro@ecy.wa.gov . For summaries under consideration for the Water Banking Pilot Grant program, visit the Water banking grants webpage.

There are no documents currently posted.

Purchases or Leases

We post notices for a 30-day comment period when Ecology intends to hold water rights in the Trust Water Rights Program based on a lease or purchase. For more information, contact the Southwest Region Help Desk at 360-407-0278 or email us at wrswro@ecy.wa.gov .

There are no documents currently posted.

Temporary Donations

We post temporary donation forms for a 30-day review period. For more information, contact the Southwest Region Help Desk at 360-407-0278 or email us at wrswro@ecy.wa.gov .

There are no documents currently posted.