In December 2019, we partnered with Chelan County to initiate a Lake Chelan Coordinated Cost Reimbursement Program in order to process pending water right applications from the Lake Chelan Reserve. Under the program, applicants may acquire a water right permit by sharing costs with other applicants to process their applications.
The Lake Chelan Basin has a finite reserve of water to allocate. Processing applications under both of the following options will continue until all of the pending applications have been processed and the “reserve” water is used up.
Option 1
We have contracted with a consultant to investigate the applications and develop the Reports of Examination and subsequent water right permits. Applicants must pay for the cost of the consultant to manage and do the work.
Option 2
Applicants seeking water for domestic exempt use may elect instead to be processed under a program through Chelan County.
This program is a less expensive option ($2,000) than Option 1 through the Coordinated Cost Reimbursement Program and was activated April 1, 2021; only domestic, exempt uses are eligible.
Your wait time depends on where you are in line and which option you choose.
We expect to process ten applications or more each year (Option 1). Once work begins on your application, you will likely have a permit within a year, if approved. Investigation and development of the draft Report of Examination for the project will take about six to eight months, followed by a 30-day public comment period. We expect to issue its final decision within two weeks. The final decision is followed by a 30-day appeal period and issuance of your permit.
Chelan County’s processing time varies and is dependent upon whether a building permit is needed. Applicants can return to Option 1 at any time, but once the Reserve water is gone, Option 1 processing will stop.