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Water Market

Ecology utilizes three programs to facilitate a water market. They are the Trust Water Rights Program, the Water Acquisition Program, and Water Banking.

Trust Water Rights Program

Protecting water rights for future uses

The Washington State Trust Water Rights Program provides a way to legally hold water rights for future uses without the water right relinquishing. 

Water is held in trust to benefit groundwater and instream flows, and other beneficial uses.  While water is held in trust it retains its original priority date.  The Trust Water Rights Program is used to implement the Water Acquisition Program and for holding water for Water Banking activities.

• More information - about Trust Water Rights

Public Notice

Public notice is provided via the web for Trust Water Right Donations and for Trust Water Right Short-term Leases.

• Public Notice and Comment  - Trust Water Rights Resulting from Donations or Short-term Leases

Water Acquisition

Increasing Stream Flows in Critical River Basins

In 2003, the state launched the Washington Water Acquisition Program, a voluntary program to increase stream flows in 16 watersheds with vulnerable salmon and trout populations. The program is backed by strong interest and support from local, state, federal and tribal governments and private entities. State agencies involved include the departments of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife and Washington Conservation Commission.

• More information about Water Acquisition

Water Banking

Making Water Available for new uses: both in stream, and out of stream

In Washington state, water banking is fairly new. It is a way to use the market to make water available for new uses, such as increasing stream flows and providing water for development.

In 2003 legislation was passed to allow banking in the Yakima basin using the state Trust Water program. During the 2009 legislative session Chapter RCW 90.42 was amended to clarify that this tool is available to use for banking statewide.

There are five water banks in the Kittitas Water Exchange that you can use to find water for your needs.  The main Kittitas Water Exchange web page that contains links to the following:

• Lamb and Anderson Bank (Upper Kittitas Basin),
• Suncadia and Roan Bank (Swauk Basin),
• SwiftWater Ranch Water Bank (Teanaway Basin)
• Reecer Creek Golf Course Bank (Lower Kittitas Basin), and
• Williams and Amerivest (Lower Kittitas Basin).

Most of the banking in our state uses the state Trust Water program as the vault to hold water so that it does not relinquish.

• More information about Water Banking

Contact

Headquarters Peggy Clifford Department of Ecology PO Box 47600 Olympia WA 98504 360-407-6204 pcli461@ecy.wa.gov