Water rights

Before applying for a water right or seeking to change an existing water right, we recommend a pre-application consultation with our regional staff. We can advise you on water supply options.

• View permit applications and arrange a pre-application consultation
• Apply for a new water right using our new application portal!

• If you receive your water from a utility, you don't need a water right as long as your provider has the necessary rights.

• You need a water right if you plan to use any amount of surface water (from a river, stream, spring, or lake) for any purpose.

• You need a water right if you plan to use groundwater (from a well) beyond small quantities exempt from the permitting process in RCW 90.03.050 and title 173 WAC. Read more about this on our Groundwater permit exemption page.

• If you need a water right or are unsure, we recommend a pre-application consultation with our regional staff. Fill out the pre-application consultation request form linked below.

  • Pre-application consultation request form

• Find a water right using the Water Rights Search
• Request information on an existing water right
• Landowner's Guide to Washington Water Rights

Washington’s water law includes the principle that a water right is confirmed and maintained through beneficial use. People often use the expression “use it or lose it” to describe this principle. Put simply, a water right may be wholly or partially lost through extended periods of voluntary non-use. The return of unused water to the state is called relinquishment.

The purpose of relinquishment is to ensure that Washington's limited water resources are put to maximum beneficial use for all of Washington’s citizens

• Water Right Relinquishment

Water availability is directly related to how much annual precipitation the state receives. We monitor current water and snowpack supplies and future weather conditions so we can inform the public and other agencies about trends and possible shortages. See more informaton about water availability.

In addition to issuing water rights, we are also responsible for protecting streamflows for fish, wildlife, recreation, aesthetics, water quality, and navigation. We accomplish this by setting instream flows, which are essentially water rights for rivers.