Policies and Procedures

These policies and procedures are used to guide and ensure consistency among water resources program staff in the administration of laws and regulations. These policies and procedures are not formal administrative regulations that have been adopted through a rule-making process. In some cases, the policies may not reflect subsequent changes in statutory law or judicial findings, but they are indicative of the department's practices and interpretations of laws and regulations at the time they are adopted. If you have any questions regarding a policy or procedure, please contact the department.

Each of the policies and procedures are Adobe Acrobat files that can be viewed and downloaded separately from the following tables, or as a combined file from the following list.

Water Right Administrative Policy

Administration of Water Right Permits

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 1000	Water Right Administration Policy (10/23/1990)
POL 1005	Internet Posting of Reports of Examination (01/01/2007)
POL 1010	Water Right Assistance to Applicants (8/28/1998)
POL 1015	Diversion or Withdrawal of Saltwater (12/19/1994)
POL 1020	Consumptive and Non-consumptive Water Use (10/31/1991)
POL 1021	Priority Processing - Water Budget Neutral Projects (01/21/2004)
POL 1025	Conveying Stockwater Away from Streams (Revised 12/02/1994)
POL 1030	Preliminary Permits (Revised 09/13/2001)
POL 1035	Temporary and Emergency Drought Permits (Revised 09/10/1992)
POL 1037	Permits for Short-Term Water Use (09/10/1992)
POL 1040	Use of Terms that Clarify Relationships Between Water Rights (03/09/2006)
POL 1045	Emergency Water Source Authorization (09/15/2006)
POL 1050	Extension of Time on Water Right Permits Revised (01/20/06)
POL 1060	Recision and Relinquishment of Water Rights (11/22/91)
POL 1070	Administrative Confirmation of the Division of Water Rights Among Multiple Owners Revised (01/20/06)
POL 1070 (form)	Request for Administrative Confirmation of Division of a Water Right - Form (07/03/2003)
POL 1105	Notification of Water Right Applications to Indian Tribes (02/12/1990)
POL 1120	Conducting Tentative Determinations of Water Rights (08/30/2004)

Changes of Water Right

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 1200	Evaluation of Changes or Transfers to Water Rights (01/08/1999)
POL 1210	Evaluation of Changes to Enable Irrigation of Additional Acreage or the Addition of New Purposes of Use to Existing Water Rights Revised (02/08/06)
POL 1230	Consolidation of Rights for Exempt Ground Water Withdrawals (01/11/1999)
POL 1260	Policy to Replace an Existing Well or to Add an Additional Well(s) (09/30/1999)
POL 1260 (form)	Showing of Compliance with RCW 90.44.100(3) - Form ECY 040-74

General Water Resources

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 2005	Water Resources Enforcement (07/22/1992)
POL 2010	Defining and Delineation of Water Sources (02/15/2007)
POL 2015	Water Right Permits for Fire Fighting or Protection (03/14/2008)
POL 2020	Water Use Associated with Heat Pumps (05/14/2007)
POL 2025	Policy/Interpretive Statement on When to Perform a Maximum Net Benefits Analysis (Effective Date 01/31/2005)
POL 2030	2003 Municipal Water Law Interpretive and Policy Statement (02/05/2007)

Water Right Administrative Procedure

Administration of Water Right Permits

Procedure Number	Description of Procedure and Version Date
PRO 1000	Water Right Administration Procedures (10/23/1990)
PRO 1043A	Dispute Resolution, State and Tribal Comments on Water Right Applications (02/11/1990)
PRO 1050	Procedure for Notification of Water Right Actions to the Department of Revenue (10/01/04)
PRO 1105A	Notification of Indian Tribes of Water Right Applications (05/01/1990)
PRO 1210	Calculating and Applying the Annual Consumptive Quantity (ACQ) Revised (02/08/06)

General Water Resources

Procedure Number	Description of Procedure and Version Date
PRO 2006	Well Drilling License Renewal and Enforcement Actions (01/25/1994)
PRO 2025	Basic Steps for Evaluating Maximum Net Benefits (Effective Date 01/31/2005)

Water Resources Program Guidance

Guidance Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
GUID-1210	Determining Irrigation Efficiency and Consumptive Use (Effective Date 10/11/2005)
GUID-1220	Guidance for Processing and Managing Trust Water Rights (Effective Date 07/01/2008)
GUID-2035	Guidance for Amending Water Right Claims (Effective Date 04/15/2008)
GUID-4100	Staff Guidance for Administration of Chapter 173-153 WAC Water Conservancy Boards (Effective Date 10/31/2006)

Dam Safety Program Policies

Dam Safety Program Policy

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 5101	Designation of state dam safety office (07/01/1999)
POL 5102	Applicability of dam safety policies and procedures (07/01/1999)
POL 5103	Applicability of policies to dams which are federally owned (07/01/1999)
POL 5104	Applicability of policies to non-federal dams which are licensed or exempted for hydropower by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (07/01/1999)
POL 5105	Exemption of dams which are six feet or less in height (07/01/1999)
POL 5106	Multiple small dams in series (07/01/1999)

Construction Permit Process

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 5201	Issuance of construction permit (07/01/1999)
POL 5202	Engineering approval of construction plans and specifications (07/01/1999)
POL 5203	Assessment and collection of fees for engineering review of construction plans and specifications and for construction inspections (07/01/1999)
POL 5204	Plan review requirements for construction change orders (07/01/1999)
POL 5205	Review of construction plans and specifications received after project construction (07/01/1999)
POL 5206	SEPA compliance as related to issuance of construction permit (07/01/1999)

Construction Inspection

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 5301	Inspection of construction work (07/01/1999)
POL 5302	Construction inspection plans by dam owners (07/01/1999)

Inspection of Existing Dams

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 5401	Periodic inspection of existing dams - Federal Dams (07/01/1999)
POL 5402	Periodic inspection of existing dams - hydropower dams licensed or exempted by FERC (07/01/1999)
POL 5403	Periodic inspection of existing dams - Ecology sole regulatory agency (07/01/1999)
POL 5404	Frequency of periodic inspections (07/01/1999)
POL 5405	Dams constructed without prior DSS approval of plans and specifications (recent construction) (07/01/1999)
POL 5406	"Older" dams which were constructed many years ago without DSS approval of plans and specifications (07/01/1991)
POL 5407	Periodic inspections of metals mining tailings impoundments (07/01/1999)

Compliance and Enforcement

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 5501	Enforcement guidelines and procedures (07/01/1999)
POL 5502	Use of enforcement action when voluntary compliance is not forthcoming (07/01/1999)

Project Operation

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 5601	Operation and maintenance manuals and emergency action plans (07/01/1999)
POL 5602	Emergency spillway requirements at off-channel storage facilities (07/01/1999)

Response to Emergencies

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 5701	Emergency response procedures by dam safety section (07/01/1999)
POL 5702	Discretionary actions during emergency or exigency situations (07/01/1999)

Miscellaneous Topics

Policy Number	Description of Policy and Version Date
POL 5801	Coordination with Ecology Water Quality Financial Assistance Program (07/01/1991)