Adjudication information for farmers

To protect your current water use, it is important that you submit an adjudication court claim form by June 1, 2027. Fill out Parts A, C, and D of the court claim form for each agricultural water right or permit exemption.

Most large agricultural water users operate under a water right document. If you aren’t sure if you have a water right, you can use our web map or search tool: Nooksack Adjudication Web Map to check. Some farms use wells that may be allowed under the groundwater permit exemption. If your farm uses up to 5,000 gallons of well water per day for commercial agricultural operations, this use should qualify for the groundwater permit exemption. The groundwater permit exemption also allows for stockwater use in addition to the 5,000 gallons per day for irrigation and other commercial/ industrial uses.

Whether you have a water right document or you are using water under the groundwater permit exemption, it is important that you complete Part C of the court claim form for each separate water right on your farm. If you do not know the annual quantity of water used, you can use Whatcom County’s Water Use Calculator to estimate. 

Additional resources for farmers can be found on Whatcom County Conservation District's webpage or through Washington State University Extension’s webpage.